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Technical Art History and Fraud (UNIB20004)
Undergraduate level 2Points: 12.5Not available in 2017
Overview
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Art fraud is a serious problem for Australia's art market; it involves organized crime, damage to artists' reputations and the insertion of false documents into the historical record. This subject introduces the cross-disciplinary research methodologies involved in investigating works of art within a legal context. Leading researchers in diverse fields including physics, chemistry and cultural materials conservation present key theories and methods. Important elements from different disciplines explored include scientific concepts of verifiability and falsifiability; designing analytical pathways; and selecting appropriate scientific instrumentation, the history of technological developments in pigment and binder manufacture; the varying legal standards around Australia and internationally; and the importance of provenance and documentary evidence. This is the only undergraduate subject led by the Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation.
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of the subject students should:
- understand the philosophical, economic and social impacts of art fraud on the individuals and communities producing art and on the art market;
- understand and be able to use agreed industry definitions of original artwork from both legal and art historical perspectives;
- have an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of application of scientific analytical procedures to the authentication process and understand the process of formulating and testing a hypothesis scientifically.
Last updated: 22 March 2024
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 22 March 2024
Assessment
Additional details
- One 1500 word assignment due mid-semester (40%)
- One 2500 word research essay due at the end of semester (60%)
Hurdle requirement:
- Students must attend a minimum of 75% of tutorials in order to pass this subject.
- All pieces of written work must be submitted to pass this subject.
Note: Assessment submitted late without an approved extension will be penalised at 10% per day. After five days late assessment will not be marked. In-class tasks missed without approval will not be marked.
Last updated: 22 March 2024
Dates & times
Not available in 2017
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 22 March 2024
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
A subject reader will be available online.
Recommended texts and other resources
Dutton, Denis (ed.) 1983 The Forger's Art: Forgery and the Philosophy of Art, University of California Press, Berkeley.
Hebborn, Eric 2004, The Art Forger's Handbook, Overlook Press, Woodstock, N.Y.
Lenain, Thierry 2011, Art forgery : the history of a modern obsession, Reaktion Books, London - Breadth options
This subject is available as breadth in the following courses:
- Links to additional information
Last updated: 22 March 2024