Michelle Leder
03/01/2007
Two scientists at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands are developing software that may prove a more accessible weapon in the fight against forgeries. Named "Authentic," the software analyzes the unique characteristics of a particular artist—brushstrokes, colors and canvas, for example—to form a fingerprint. The application can then compare that fingerprint to other works for authentication. Four years ago, a computer science PhD student and his professor began the project by looking at 195 high-resolution digital scans of Van Gogh paintings, including eight known forgeries, to build their database. Today, professor Eric Postma, who advised Igor Berezhnoy on the project, says that the pair is in the process of expanding the software to cover additional artists. They hope to eventually commercialize the product by forming a small company, but admit that they find it difficult to convince art experts that a piece of software can help them do their jobs more effectively. "We don’t really see this as replacing the art expert," Postma says. "It is really supporting the art expert." Even with powerful technology, he concedes, it may only be a matter of time before forgers catch up. "Once the computer can detect a fake from an authentic piece of art, someone will be able to create a new way to get around the computer," he says.
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