Issue 42 summer 24 web - Flipbook - Page 115
before Bacon’s death in April 1992 (and the drawings
were claimed to span a number of years going back
decades long before 1992) and b) the marker pen, with
which many of the drawings had been finished and which
it was agreed by all parties were contemporaneous with
the graphite element utilised, had only been invented and
sold in 1997, 5 years after Bacon died. However a deal
was agreed and the evidence was not placed before the
court. One result was that, a few weeks after the legal aspect had been resolved, a London gallery put a number
of the drawings up for exhibition, admitting that there
had been some controversy as to their authenticity and
asking viewers to make up their own minds as to whether
or not the works were genuine. At this point I was straight
on to my instructing solicitors with a request that they let
the gallery know about the forensic evidence. The
exhibition ended early.
Author
Andrew Acquier FRICS
Email: andrew@andrewacquier.co.uk
Website: www.andrewacquier.co.uk
Andrew Acquier FRICS has been working as an
independent valuer since 1982, specialising in fine art and
antiques. Instructions for probate, tax/asset and insurance
valuations. As well as expert witness work including
divorce settlement, are regularly received from solicitors
and other professionals. Work is carried out throughout
the UK and abroad.
Forensic tests are becoming a regular part of due diligence
for the major auction rooms, with Sotheby’s now employing an in-house team specialising in this area. We are
moving to a time when scholarly opinion, although still
important, is becoming of lesser importance than objective fact in the willingness of the auction house to give a
picture a clean bill of health and allow the work to be as
accurately catalogued as currently possible .
Above, handwritten lyrics to ‘A Day in a life’by the Beatles
I recall that the first time I was made aware of the
importance of forensic work was when I attended a
lecture at the Courtauld Institute in the late 1970s. I
particularly remember that it had been discovered that
the lead white pigment used on Old Master paintings in
the 16th century contained two radio-active isotopes, one
of which gained in strength over the centuries, the other
diminishing in strength. This allowed the pigment to be
dated. What it did not take into account was that a forger
could lift the pigment off a lesser work painted in the
1500s and re-use it on a new work.
Andrew
Andr
ew Acquier
Acquier, FRICS
CHAR
ARTE
TERED
ED ARTS
AR S SURVEYO
S VEYOR
R
Andrew Acquier FRICS has been working as an independent
valuer since 1982, specialising in fine art and antiques.
Instructions for probate, divorce settlement, tax/asset and
insurance valuations as well as expert witness work are
A more recent discovery (as shown on ‘Fake or Fortune’)
was that Han Van Meegeren, the celebrated Old Master
forger of the 1920s and 1930s, used Bakelite in his varnish
to give an impression of enhanced age. As Bakelite was
only developed in 1907 and as Van Meegeren appears to
be the only artist to use the material in such a way,
identifying a painting by this artist has now become much
easier.
regularly received from solicitors and other professionals.
Andrew has many years experience of compiling reports
for litigious cases, several of which have necessitated a
subsequent court appearance as an expert witness to argue
quantum. Divorce valuations are a speciality, usually as Single
Joint Expert. He is an Associate Member of Resolution.
Work is carried out throughout the UK and abroad.
Where will the market move next? Many of the most
expensive pictures and sculpture are of large size and need
to be displayed in large houses, which only the rich can
afford. Will there be a move to more portable art, not just
Cartier jewellery, the Patek Philippe watch on your wrist
or a Hermes handbag, but perhaps a pocket size Banksy?
23 York Street
Broadstairs
Kent
CT10 1PB
Tel: 0207 353 6440
Mobile: 07787 518 861
Email: andrew@andrewacquier.co.uk
Website: www.andrewacquier.co.uk
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