In this article, we address the concept of art forgery as a major current challenge within the art world for collectors, art investors, auction houses and others. Within this context, we discuss art authentication as well as a few innovations in modern technology (such as artificial intelligence (AI), X-ray scanning and pigment analysis) that are increasingly available to authenticate artworks, primarily paintings.

Thanks to new technologies based on extremely efficient algorithms and extensive databases, the digital authentication process is now relatively simple for the collector: to take a photo of a particular painting, to send this to an emerging AI-analysis expert. Thus, it is no longer necessary to physically arrange for expensive and complicated transport of the given painting which can involve elaborate packing, custom declaration forms, insurance, etc..

The AI art expert shall then be able to compare the stroke patterns in the painting in the photograph against their database, paint thickness, brush type, etc.. This database is a bit like a “library” of what the provider may have already uploaded directly, photographed, or obtained from other sources and already have available, known to contain pieces that are authentic, typically coming from well-researched art collections of well-known museums.

The key to accepting and using new technology in authentication is to use it in conjunction with traditional methods— not as a replacement. Technology based authentication solutions are collaborative and compatible with others and are not meant to replace them. Thus, collectors may adhere to a solid due diligence relying on a combination of human expert assessment, historical provenance research, chemical analysis and AI based authentication.

Authenticity is of course the factor that dictates the purchasing price for any piece of art. And, equally so, it dictates the pattern of accrual in value that might be expected. Testing for authenticity is, in other words, critically important when it comes to investing in art.

Keywords:  Art Authentication, Traditional and Modern Methods, Concept of art forgery, Art investors, authenticate artworks,

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