Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes & Discoveries

Never one to shy away from culture, I dragged Steve Hogarty along to the National Gallery yesterday. It’d been a while since I’d visited and Steve, despite living in London for a number of years, had never been. We wandered the halls for an hour before dropping into the Sainsbury Wing where a temporary exhibition titled, “Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes & Discoveries,” is housed.

Made up of six rooms, each with a different theme, the showcase explores the ways in which technology is helping to unmask the mystery behind many works of art. Technological advancement has yielded new truths about pieces five hundred years old. They range from drastic alterations, restorations and to full blown, fraudulent copies.

Each painting is explained as to how the truth’s been discovered. Often it’s through pigment analysis which is subsequently cross-referenced with historical records. Other examples include the use of X-Rays to reveal the original painting, pre-edit beneath.

It’ll take you roughly 45 minutes. Even if you only have a passing interest in art, it’s fascinating to see how a bygone era is clashing with our modern age. It does pose the question that how many of the pieces in the main collection are true originals. It’d be great to see what the experts have discovered in ten years.

It’s open until the 12^th September and it’s completely free (as is the Gallery). More information can be found at the official website and I highly recommend you pop along.

Tagged: art, Close Examination, culture, Exhibition, Fakes Mistakes & Discoveries, London, painting, The National Gallery