Courtney McWhorter and Dr. Martha Peacock, Department of Visual Arts
Originally, when I set out to begin this project my intent was to show ‘Art Forgery as an Art Form’, as the title of this project was originally called. However, the intent of my research was very broad, as I intended to discuss forgery’s role, its creation, the forger, and the merits of forgery. I soon realized that there was too much that needed to be said. Therefore, I decided to concentrate my efforts on the role of forgery, or its perception within the art world. In my research, I began noticing that the reception of forgeries has changed over time. Surprisingly, art forgery was once an acceptable practice, whereas today it is illegal. I also noticed that this change in the perception of forgery is directly related to the evolving role of art in society. By taking a philosophical approach in understanding the significance of art forgery, I sought to prove that art forgery should not only be something that is acknowledged, but something that can be useful in understanding the role of art.
To start off my research, I looked to examples beginning in the Renaissance. In his Lives of the Artists, the Renaissance historian, Giorgio Vasari, gave several anecdotes of art forgeries, all of which were met with good receptions. One involved the Italian artist, Andrea del Sarto, who was asked to create an exact replica of a portrait of Pope Leo, originally painted by Raphael, to give to the Duke of Mantua. When informed that the painting was a copy rather than the original, Guilio, a student of Raphael, made the following comment:
“I value it no less than if it were by the hand of Raffaello nay, even more, for it is something out of the course of nature that
a man of excellence should imitate the manner of another so well, and should make a copy so like. It is enough that it shouldbe known that Andrea’s genius was as valiant in double harness as in single.”1
A modern art historian commented on Andrea del Sarto’s copy, saying: “the copy is, in faithfulness, a sincere compliment from one artist to the other, but in its occasional deviations it is also a criticism. Where del Sarto found weaknesses…he corrected them.”2
Another instance from this time, one involving copying the works of Albrecht Dürer, included an artist, Marcantonio Raimondi who sold his copied works for profit. Outraged, Dürer took Marcantonio to court, where the Venetian Senate ruled in favor of the defendant. Their decision ruled that Dürer’s composition did not belong to him and that it should be taken as a compliment that someone wanted to copy his work.3 These two early examples show that at an early stage in the development of art, forgery was deemed acceptable. This may be surprising unless consideration is given to the purpose art held in society. At this time, art functioned to evoke an emotional response in its viewer and was valued for its aesthetic capabilities. Therefore, it did not matter if an artwork was original or not, as long as the work was aesthetically pleasing, the work held value.
Over time the opinion and perception of forgeries have changed. As I continued to look at many more examples throughout the history of art, I found that as I studied the circumstances surrounding each instance of forgery, I could better understand the role art was playing at the time. This becomes an invaluable tool, for scholars have written many papers trying to understand the changing role of art in society. But through the lens of forgery, it becomes unambiguous and easier to pinpoint when changes in the role of art have occurred. In my research, I could see the gradual shift from art being appreciated for its aesthetic qualities to its importance based on historicity to a current value based on commodity.
A more detailed presentation of my research was given at an ARCA (Association of Research into Crimes against Art) conference in Amelia, Italy. Here, I was not only congratulated on my interesting research, but was able to receive feedback into how I can improve my research. My paper is currently being revised to submit for publication in their journal.
As I continue my research, I would like to focus on locating more court cases involving art forgery, to show a trend in the evolving perception of forgery and how that relates to the opinion of the role of art at the time. I am very grateful to the ORCA foundation for giving me the opportunity to do individual research into an area I find great interest in, but where not much study has been done. Because of the grant, not only was I able to do my own research, but I was able to travel and present my work. This experience has been one of the best in my undergraduate studies; it has allowed me to learn a lot about myself, what I find interesting and how I can apply what I have learned in my major to things outside of it. In essence, it was a culminating venture of my BYU experience and the start of a new intellectual journey.