The Ruffini Affair: An investigation into the art market's greatest mystery.
Buchet Chastel| N° d'inventaire | 23481 |
| Format | 14 x 20 |
| Détails | 288 p., paperback. |
| Publication | Paris, 2021 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782283034040 |
The seizure in 2016 of a Venus attributed to Renaissance master Lucas Cranach from the collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein reveals a scandal the likes of which the art world has never seen before. One after another, paintings are being put under the microscope in American and European laboratories, several of which have already been declared modern fakes. Brilliant forgeries by a master forger? Authentic masterpieces from the past? Or simply respectable period copies?
For five years, traveling across France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Vincent Noce investigates to trace the origin of these paintings, which leads him to meet a retired man in Emilia, Giuliano Ruffini. He proclaims his innocence, implicating dealers, experts, curators, and art historians. True? False? Each of the protagonists reveals their share of the truth in a fascinating affair that shakes the very foundations of the market and art history.
The seizure in 2016 of a Venus attributed to Renaissance master Lucas Cranach from the collection of the Prince of Liechtenstein reveals a scandal the likes of which the art world has never seen before. One after another, paintings are being put under the microscope in American and European laboratories, several of which have already been declared modern fakes. Brilliant forgeries by a master forger? Authentic masterpieces from the past? Or simply respectable period copies?
For five years, traveling across France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States, Vincent Noce investigates to trace the origin of these paintings, which leads him to meet a retired man in Emilia, Giuliano Ruffini. He proclaims his innocence, implicating dealers, experts, curators, and art historians. True? False? Each of the protagonists reveals their share of the truth in a fascinating affair that shakes the very foundations of the market and art history.