I have a confession to make - I'm a huge fan of the BBC show "Fake or Fortune", in which Fiona Bruce and art dealer Philip Mould try to uncover "sleeper" paintings and long-lost masterpieces.
It was therefore interesting to read today that art authentication specialist, Dr Carina Popovici (head of Art Recognition in Switzerland), reports that she has used AI technology to identify up to 40 counterfeiting paintings on eBay, including works purporting to be by Renoir (priced at $165,000) and Monet (priced at $599,000). The AI algorithm has identified that the works in question have a "high probability" (around 95%) of being counterfeit.
The Guardian reports that the "Renoir" listing was removed from eBay after the publication made contact with the seller, however the seller claimed that they do not sell false art. The seller of the "Monet" has not responded however the description on the listing claims:
"I fully guarantee that the painting is an original 1867 oil on canvas signed and dated by Claude Monet. The painting is not in perfect condition and I do not have any provenance beyond me having it for over 20 years".
Having watched Fake or Fortune for a number of years, I know how difficult it can be to determine whether a painting is authentic. The technology used by Dr Popovici could therefore be game changing if it can accurately determine whether a work is likely to be genuine or counterfeit, even from online images.
"[Art Recognition's] technology uses two types of artificial neural network in analysing artists' works in intricate detail, from brushstroke patterns to colour palettes. Art Recognition has applied it to more than 500 works in various collections. It gave a painting by Rubens in the National Gallery – A View of Het Steen in the Early Morning – a probability of 98.76% in favour of the artist. But it also challenged the attribution to the Flemish master of Samson and Delilah, supporting long-held doubts by some critics that it is only a copy. The technology has also supported the identification of contested works, such as an 1889 self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh at the National Museum in Oslo"
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