Russian Avant-Garde at the Museum Ludwig: Original and Fake. Questions, Research, Explanations

Documenting a notorious episode in art authentication

Perhaps nothing is more devastating to an art collection than the discovery that one of its beloved pieces is merely a replica of the real thing. The subject of counterfeit artworks has long been taboo in the art world, but the fear of forgery has led to the reassessment of many museum collections and an increase in transparency regarding the strategies used to identify such forgeries. For the past decade, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, Germany has engaged in a systematic examination of its collection of Russian avant-garde paintings acquired by Peter and Irene Ludwig and donated to the museum in 2011. This fascinating volume presents 24 examples of diligent research completed in the name of authenticity. The text offers valuable insight into the artistic methods of the Russian avant-garde movement as it reveals the detailed process of confirming an artwork’s authenticity or spotting a fake.