The work’s provenance doesn’t offer much information as to its authenticity, leaving the painting itself as the only major clue as to how it came about and who painted it. This doesn’t seem out of place in the thriller-like unfolding of the story, with corners and patches of the painting taking the place of forensic evidence. A thumb here, a corner of a mouth there: The trained eyes of the film’s experts see these details as revelations, and give the viewer insight into the foundations of their opinions. However, this itself provides a clearer sense of just how unclear it all is. How confident would you be in believing an interpretation of a half-centimeter of paint, more than 500 years after it was applied, when tens of millions of dollars are on the line?

Source: Washington Post August 17, 2021 14:37 UTC