The Technical Examination of a Painting that Passed Through the Hands of Sienese Restorer and Forger Icilio Federico Joni

Abstract

A panel painting of the Crucifixion belonging to the Fogg Art Museum and attributed to an imitator of the 14th-century northern Italian painter Altichiero underwent technical examination to address questions about its authenticity. Suspicions about the painting had been raised on technical grounds and because it was purchased from the famous Sienese restorer and forger Icilio Federico Joni (1866–1946). The materials and technique of the painting were studied and compared to 14th-century Italian panel painting practices and to restoration and forging techniques described by Joni. The examination shows that the distinction between a heavily restored painting and a fake can be ambiguous, particularly when only a vestige of the original remains. The issues raised when dealing with such “renovated ruins,” as well as the social context that created an environment conducive to the production and marketing of fakes in Italy in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, are also discussed.