How do you authenticate a newly-discovered work of art from a long-dead master?
The Vancouver Art Gallery (VAG) wants to show you.
That’s the subject of a new exhibit, launching in tandem with the confirmation that a set of paint sketches it acquired in 2015 attributed to Group of Seven artist J.E.H. MacDonald are fakes.
The 10 sketches were donated to the gallery in 2015, attributed to MacDonald, prompting both excitement — and intense scrutiny.
As some in the art world began to question their authenticity, the VAG cancelled a planned exhibition and launched an investigation into the works.
Consultations with art historians, handwriting experts and the Canadian Conservation Institute’s scientific experts determined that MacDonald was not, in fact, the painter the VAG confirmed at a media event Friday promoting the new exhibition.
“This investigation exemplifies how scientific examination can play an important role in the understanding and preservation of cultural heritage,” said Kate Helwig, senior conservation scientist at the Canadian Conservation Institute.
“The CCI’s findings were crucial to the conclusive outcome of the investigation, which has led to the revised attribution of these ten painted sketches.”
The paint sketches are now being attributed to an unknown painter.
The new exhibit, titled J.E.H. MacDonald? A Tangled Garden will take gallery visitors through the investigation process, including a detailed presentation of the CCI’s findings.
It will show how the scientific findings were supported by historical research and analysis by experts on the Group of Seven painters.
“We invite the public to explore this fascinating story, which reveals the complexities that occur when art history and science connect,” VAG CEO and executive director Anthony Kiendl said.
“The Gallery seeks to foster an environment of critical inquiry and transparency in which our audiences participate in the discourse surrounding the meaning of these artworks.”
Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see the sketches displayed along with authenticated works by MacDonald, to make a comparison for themselves.
The exhibit opens on Saturday, Dec. 16, and will run until May 12.