The Science of Forgery
A Religious Procession, probably 1920s.
- Copy after Pieter Bruegel the Elder (around 1525–1569)
- Oil paint on wood panel
- Viscount Lee of Fareham bequest, 1947
The rediscovery in the 1920s of the Flemish Renaissance painter Pieter Bruegel led to a flourishing market of fakes. This composition, depicting men carrying statues of saints while a group looks on from a first-floor window, copies a detail from a larger work by Bruegel, A Village Festival (now lost but known through later copies). Technical analysis determined that the wood panel on which it is painted dates from the 16th century. Forgers often re-used old supports, scraping off any previous paint. However, many of the pigments used by the artist only became available in the 19th century, thus revealing deception.
Part of The Curiosity Cabinet exhibition 'FAKE OR REAL? - King's X The Courtauld Gallery'.