The Authenticity of Paul Cezanne Painting
Curator's Reccomendation
Don't buy the painting
The presence of a single evidence that disproves authenticity shields all positive evidence proving authenticity
Evidence Disproveing Authenticity
IR Spectra: composed of cadmium yellow which was used after Cezanne died.
Possibility of underdrawing
Painting is unsigned
Doesn't prove it's Cezanne's
Absence of evidence about whose painting it is, doesn't prove it's Cezanne's
Absorbance of the painting = 0.6 while absorbance of the paintings in the 1880s = 0.15
The difference may be due to contaminants
Evidence Proving Authenticity
IR spectra: The binder used was animal glue
proves that it was made before 1930
XRF of yellow sample
No pigment anachronisms
Brushwork characterized by solid groupings which characterizes most of Cezanne's works
Unsigned painting: like most of Cezanne's paintings
XRF: Matches composition of pigments used during Cezanne's time