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It is almost always newsworthy when a valuable work of art is found in a thrift store or hidden in the back of an attic. Museum curators revel in finding previously undiscovered or unrecognized masterpieces in their capacious collections. But what happens when the opposite scenario takes place – when a masterwork is determined not to be authentic and therefore not of value?
Redwood City resident Stephanie A. Brown, who holds a doctorate in French history from Stanford University, has written a fascinating book entitled “The Case of the Disappearing Gauguin: A Study of Authenticity and the Art Market,” about this very subject. The book reads like a detective story with a famous artist, shadowy characters, international settings and, at its core, a beautiful still life painting that may, or may not, have been created by post-impressionist Paul Gaugin.
The saga began in 2016 when Brown, who has worked as a curator and professor of museum studies at various institutions, was contracted by the Haggin Museum in Stockton, California to assess their art collection. Little did she know that this consulting position would consume her for the next four years and take her across the country and even to France in order to undertake research in libraries and archives…