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So What Do You Do with a Forgery?

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So What Do You Do with a Forgery? So what do you do with a forgery? Jennifer Ellen Minich, BA 2043339m Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Museum Studies, History of Collecting and Collection in the Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute. Word Count: 12,927 HATII School of Humanities College of Arts University of Glasgow August, 2013 Abstract This study examines the relationship between forgeries and museums through the analytical evaluation of curatorial perceptions about the value and display of forgeries. The instinctual reaction to the discovery of a forgery remains divided and the complexity of the discovery is further complicated by the multiple and varied responsibilities museums have toward their public, trustees, scholars, and researchers. The museological value of forgeries and the circumstances of their display through the study of individual curatorial perceptions of forgeries is discussed. The methods used include a Curatorial Questionnaire and interviews and the examination of specific, successful forgery exhibits at the Burrell Collection in Glasgow Museums, the British Museum, London, and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, California. Research suggests curators are receptive to the display of forgeries in museums exhibits and that forgery exhibits are viable, popular exhibit options for museums. Ultimately, this study concludes there is a case for the continued re-examination of forgeries as valuable museum assets. 2043339m ii Table of Contents Description Page Number Title Page ....................................................................................................................... i Abstract ........................................................................................................................ ii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................ iii List of Figures ............................................................................................................. iv Acknowledgements ...................................................................................................... v Declaration of Originality Form ............................................................................... vi 1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 2. Literature Review ................................................................................................... 3 3. Methodology .......................................................................................................... 12 4. Chapter One: What Is Forgery? .......................................................................... 15 5. Chapter Two: Forgery Exhibits, 1990-Present .................................................. 19 5.1 Early Forgery Exhibits .............................................................................. 19 5.2 1990 – Present: The Birth of the Modern Forgery Exhibit ...................... 20 5.3 The Burrell Collection .............................................................................. 22 Daumer in the Burrell Collection ....................................................... 22 Joseph Crawhall, 1861-1913: One of the Glasgow Boys ................... 24 Millet Under Investigation at the Burrell Collection ......................... 25 5.4 The British Museum .................................................................................. 26 5.5 The Significance of the Burrell Collection and the British Museum 1990 Forgery Exhibits .............................................................................................. 27 5.6 The J. Paul Getty Museum ........................................................................ 30 Carvers and Collectors: The Lasting Allure of Ancient Gems ........... 30 6. Chapter Three: The Evolution of the Forgery Exhibit ..................................... 31 6.1 The Success of Museum with Forgery Exhibit ......................................... 32 6.2 The Motivations Behind Forgery Exhibits ................................................ 37 6.3 The Value of Forgeries .............................................................................. 38 6.4 Curating a Forgery Exhibit ........................................................................ 42 6.5 The Future of Forgery Exhibits ................................................................. 45 7. Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 48 Appendix A – Curatorial Questionnaire ................................................................. 50 Appendix B – Curatorial Questionnaire: Kenneth Lapatin Interview ................ 51 Appendix C – List of Forgery Exhibits, 1914-Present ........................................... 52 References .................................................................................................................. 54 2043339m iii Table of Contents Description Page Number Figure 1. Man investigating artwork at the Victoria and Albert Museum’s exhibit “The Metropolitan Police Service’s Investigation of Fakes and Forgeries” ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Figure 2. Curatorial Questionnaire ......................................................................... 12 Figure 3. A visitor looks at “Women at a Window” at the National Gallery’s exhibit “Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries” .......................... 21 Figure 4. Mapped Visitor Route Through the Citi Money Gallery at the British Museum’s exhibit “Forgery, Suffragettes and Nirvana: Tracking Visitors in the Citi Money Gallery” .................................................................................................. 35 Figure 5. Forgery and Money Case in the Citi Money Gallery at the British Museum’s exhibit “Forgery, Suffragettes and Nirvana: Tracking Visitors in the Citi Money Gallery” ................................................................................................. 36 Figure 6. Gnaios. Mark Anthony. 40-20 B.C. Amethyst Intaglio. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles ............................................................................................... 40 Figure 7. Unknown. Dutch Painter Hans Van Meegeren (1889-1947), in front of one of his works. Photograph ................................................................................... 43 Figure 8. Countering the Counterfeiters Case at the Currency Museum’s exhibit “Fakes & Forgeries: Yesterday and Today” ........................................................... 47 2043339m iv Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude first and foremost to my supervisor, Dr. Ian G. Anderson for his support and feedback during all stages of my dissertation. Additionally, I want to thank all those who participated in my survey and in interviews for sharing their valuable time and professional insight. Without their support and participation, this project would not have been possible. Lastly, I want to thank my husband for encouraging and supporting me throughout this entire process. and my parents for their help throughout the writing and editing process. 2043339m v 1. Introduction Artistic forgery has become a widely recognized byproduct of the art industry’s growing financial influence. Art fraud crime is a $1 billion a year industry, and the impetus behind the creation of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Art Crime Team and the U.K. Metropolitan Police Department’s (MET) ArtBeat Specialists. 1 News media sensationalize the discovery of big-ticket forgeries in museums and well-known forgers like John Myatt are offered TV deals teaching celebrities to reproduce their favorite Van Gogh. Fictional television shows, notably USA Network’s popular television drama, “White Collar,” and movies, such as Catch Me If You Can, portray forgers as suave, talented, and handsome young men trapped on the wrong side of the law.2 It is undeniable that the Western world has a fascinating relationship with forgery, fueled by the discovery of new forgeries every day, in every corner of the world, and in every well-respected museum and art gallery. So what does a curator do with a forgery? The Curatorial Questionnaire, a research tool with specific questions about the value and display of forgeries developed for this study, introduced the curatorial perspective on the value of forgeries in museum collections and served as a starting point for a dialogue with curators who choose to study and exhibit forgeries from their collections. In addition to curatorial perspectives, this study uses a literature search to explore the anthropological development of forgeries, the varied motivations of forgers, the legal and financial implications of forgery, and the media’s sensationalization of forgeries in an effort to create a context for the treatment and value of forgeries in museums over the past 100 years. The study focuses on curatorial definitions of forgeries, the development of forgery exhibits, and the motivations of the curators who exhibit forgeries to create a tangible and relevant argument about the value of forgeries in museum collections. The responses to the 1 Ember, Lois. Fakes and Forgeries. September 10, 2007. http://cen.acs.org/articles/85/i37/Fakes-Forgeries.html. (Accessed April 14, 2013). 2 Ogden,
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