Exploring Authenticity Through Classical Art: Originals, Fakes and Copies

ABSTRACT

Today, standing in situ or displayed in museums, are several classical and post-classical copies of works of art. In contrast, fakes are usually locked away in museum stores. This dichotomy sparks a reflection on the authenticity attached to fakes and to copies of classical artworks. Building upon Denis Dutton’s work and drawing on a series of examples, this article contends that, although neither fakes nor copies are (the) original, copies are ‘nominally authentic’ regarding their authorship, origin, findspot, and/or provenance, whereas fakes are not. Also, copies are ‘expressively authentic’ in so far as they honestly fulfil the function for which they were created, are situated in the context of the original, or somehow speak of continuity with artistic and art historical traditions. On the contrary, once spotted, fakes lose their purpose and their intended audience, proving expressively inauthentic. Therefore, what fakes and copies have in common is their non-originality, explored here as both creativity and exemplarity or fecundity, that is, the capacity to originate an artistic or figurative tradition. The article concludes by asking what we are to do with fakes and contends that, as historical documents, they warrant exhibition since they can contribute to unlocking the multiple narratives surrounding originals.

KEYWORDS:

• Archaeology
• aura
• authenticity
• classical art
• copy
• fake
• museums
• originality

Acknowledgments

I wish to thank Prof. Linda Bertelli for her constructive criticism and feedback in the drafting of this article. My heartfelt thanks also to Dr Lisa Giombini for her suggestions, comments, and valuable advice.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes

1 https://www.lascaux.fr/en Lascaux Centre International de l’Arte Parietal. < https://www.lascaux.fr/en > [Accessed 26 July 2018].

2 Tutankhamun – His Tomb and His Treasures < http://www.tut-ausstellung.com/en/ > [Accessed 18 July 2021]

3 http://www.jeffkoons.com/artwork/gazing-ball-sculptures/gazing-ball-farnese-hercules [Accessed 18 July 2021]

4 British Museum 1986, 1021.1, see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1986-1021-1 [Accessed 18 July 2021].

5 See Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung Frankfurt am Main, Digitorial Gods in Color. Polychromy in Antiquity. < http://buntegoetter.liebieghaus.de/en > [Accessed 18 July 2021].