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AI says a painting was made by the master Raphael. Art experts disagree. – The Washington Post

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Exhibiting a painting by the Renaissance master Raphael has generally been reserved for the world’s most famous art venues, such as the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Vatican Museums.

But this week, a gallery in the northern English city of Bradford put on display what it says artificial intelligence has identified as a work by the Italian Renaissance painter often mentioned alongside Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. Researchers hope their experimental use of AI will put to rest a decades-long debate about the origins of the painting, known as the de Brécy Tondo, allowing it acceptance alongside Raphael works hanging in cities better known for their art halls.

The two-month exhibition in the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery shows how AI models could upend the small world of professional art attribution, traditionally the province of experts who can devote their entire career to the study of a single artist or period.

Researchers at the Universities of Nottingham and Bradford said in January that an AI-powered facial recognition model showed a 97 percent similarity between the Virgin Mary depicted in the disputed de Brécy Tondo painting and Raphael’s confirmed Sistine Madonna, as well as an 86 percent similarity between the child and the altarpiece’s Jesus. Some experts on the artist disagree.

Hassan Ugail, a professor of visual computing at the University of Bradford who developed the model, said the case shows it’s time for art connoisseurs to modernize their tool kit.

“It has been quite a learning curve to understand the art world and how little they use scientific evidence,” Ugail said. The model researchers used zeroes in on “dimensions the human eye can’t see,” he said.

Art attribution can carry enormous financial stakes, said Richard Polsky, who runs an authentication firm focused on 20th century American artists.

“Say there’s a very small number of genuine works out in the museums. You add another one to the market and can put a tremendous price on it because it’s been in private hands for all these centuries,” Polsky said. “It doesn’t take much for someone with money to say, ‘I want that for my new museum and I’ll pay $100 million.’”

Some artists have a definitive catalogue of attributed works. Others don’t, meaning scholars and the art market must reach consensus on potential new pieces that could fetch millions and change viewers’ understanding of an artist.

Advocates of using AI in the process say it will make the attribution process fairer.

“The reliance on the judgment of a single human expert can be risky due to the potential for human error, subjectivity or biases,” said Carina Popovici, the chief executive of AI authentication firm Art Recognition, who was not involved in the de Brécy Tondo study. She said her group’s algorithm accurately sniffs out paintings made by forger Wolfgang Beltracchi, who admitted in 2012 to faking works by roughly 50 artists.

But in the case of the de Brécy Tondo, experts on Raphael and Renaissance art say they’re skeptical of the AI model’s results.

A private collector bought the painting in 1981, noticing its similarity to the Sistine Madonna, and transferred it to a trust in 1995 for experts to study. Proponents call it a Raphael original. Others say it’s a copy made anytime between the artist’s lifetime and the 19th century.

Rudolf Hiller von Gaertringen, an art historian at the University of Leipzig who co-wrote a compendium of Raphael’s work, said he does not think the painter would have produced a copy of figures depicted in the Sistine Madonna at the height of his career in the 1510s, preferring to vary his subjects.

Patricia Emison, an Italian Renaissance expert at the University of New Hampshire, agreed.

“To repaint the Madonna and child motif that one sees in the [Sistine Madonna] altarpiece is beneath his artistic dignity,” Emison said. “He’s not just looking for the extra buck.”

Polsky and Emison both said they are unsure if an AI model could detect nuances experts see when they look at a work of art.

“If you’re deeply immersed in an artist’s work, you’ve read everything about them. You’ve been to all the museums all over the world to see originals, you’ve been to gallery exhibitions, maybe you’ve owned a few or bought and sold them,” Polsky said. “I don’t think that sort of thing can be taught.”

Despite skepticism from traditional art experts, AI is fast becoming a fixture of the art world.

In addition to distinguishing fake and real artwork, AI-driven models are generating new art and controversy. A group of artists sued several AI companies this year, saying they violated copyright law when using online art as training fodder.

Unlike the lawsuit, a definitive decision on the de Brécy Tondo’s provenance may be hard to reach.

“Attribution is delicate. It’s not something that one practices with absolute certainty,” Emison said.

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A misspelled memorial to the Brontë sisters gets its dots back at last

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LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.

More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.

The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.

They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.

“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”

It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.

Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”

Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.

“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Calvin Lucyshyn: Vancouver Island Art Dealer Faces Fraud Charges After Police Seize Millions in Artwork

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In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.

Alleged Fraud Scheme

Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.

Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.

Massive Seizure of Artworks

In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.

Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.

Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed

In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.

Court Proceedings Ongoing

The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.

Impact on the Local Art Community

The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.

For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.

As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.

While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.

Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.

As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.

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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone – BBC.com

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Ukrainian sells art in Essex while stuck in a warzone  BBC.com

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