Forgery of art

During at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I scrutinized approximately fifty thousand works across various domains. Astonishingly, a substantial 40 percent of these pieces proved to be either forgeries, restored items, that were tantamount to counterfeits.

Reflecting on the art world, circa 1736, draws a parallel between picture dealers and horse dealers, both adept in artifice. He notes how these dealers adeptly pass off valueless imitations and copies as prized originals to unsuspecting and inexperienced collectors.

In a timeless observation, hailing from the first century AD, likens certain sculptors of his era to contemporary statuaries. These artists, seeking higher prices for their creations, inscribe revered names such as Praxiteles on marbles and Myron on polished silver.

Rome occupies the center of alI tention, with various writings attesting to the necessary conditions for forgery and reveal a public concern about art fraud.

Use of spolia for portraits was accepted by some Romans and disparaged by others, with Cicero declaring, "I detest deceitful inscriptions on other peoples statues"

Forgery of art in Rome before the renaissance. While art objects from antiquity enjoyed admiration in medieval times, the act of forging them for personal gain came to a halt.