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Una Bulaqueña
by Juan Luna,
oil on canvas, 1895.
Courtesy of the National Art Gallery |
Suppose you’re scouring one of those antique stalls during a trip
to the province, and you come across this oil painting of a woman in
Filipiniana dress in a solemn pose. You blink your eyes and pinch
your cheeks; you can’t believe you’ve just
stumbled onto Una Bulaqueña, the famous
painting by Juan Luna. Or is it?
The only way to find out, according to Dr.
Patrick Flores of the National Museum Art Division, is to have the
“Luna” in question authenticated, that is, to be examined by a
panel of experts to prove that it is indeed the real thing.
Art authentication is the process of verifying
and certifying as original a work of art. Paintings, sculptures, and
prints such as lithographs and engravings are artworks that may be
authenticated.
The reason for authentication is simply for
protection against forgery, the practice of creating as well as
selling works of art that are falsely attributed to a famous artist.
With forgery as an industry, institutions such as banks require a
certificate of authenticity when a work of art is put up as
collateral, according to Flores.
Republic Act No.9105, or the Art Forgery Act of
2001, defines art forgery to be 1) Affixing a forged signature on a
work of art; 2) Imitating any original signature with intent to
deceive the public as to the authorship of the artwork; 3) Selling
any work of fine art bearing forged signatures; and 4) Reproducing
any work of fine art with intent to deceive the public as to the
authenticity of the work.
The government approved RA 9105 as a response to
the crime of forgery, but even Flores admits the “response” is
quite young, having been enacted only last 2001. Art forgery is said
to date back to more than 2,000 years ago. At the very least, RA
9105 provides the means to stop this lucrative business by defining
art forgery as a crime and institutionalizing the mechanism for art
authentication.
Three Filipino citizens with expertise in art
history, conservation, and connoisseurship comprise the Art
Authentication Panel. They are appointed by the National Museum
Board of Trustees from a list of six names originally chosen by a
Search Committee.
RA 9105 mandates the Panel mainly “to verify
and certify as original any work of fine art submitted to it for
authentication, and to issue the corresponding certificates of
authentication.” The Panel is likewise able to initiate
investigation, impose sanctions, and recommend the prosecution of
violators of the Art Forgery Act.
The Panel examines the works submitted to it by
a thorough stylistic assessment known as the Morellian analysis.
Important characteristics such as brushwork, perspective, preferred
themes or technique, and the canvas and pigments used are examined.
The provenance or the history of ownership of a piece is also
important in determining its authenticity.
Compared to institutions in developed countries,
the National Art Gallery (the art component of the National Museum)
cannot perform highly technical examinations of artworks, such as
carbon dating and digital wavelet decomposition. “But when the
situation calls for it, we can call on the assistance of experts,”
Flores says. “Ideally we would like to have this kind of
capability, but for now we just have to make do with what we
have.”
Unfortunately, the authentication of artworks by
the National Museum is currently suspended, with the undergoing
rehabilitation of the structures of the museum complex. Flores
recommends three other entities that may be able to authenticate a
particular piece of work: the artist, provided he or she is still
alive; the artist?s family or heirs; and independent critics or
experts. Since it would take some time for the proposed guidelines
on the authentication process to be approved and for the Search
Committee and the Panel itself to convene, Flores recommends art
collectors to approach respected schools of art for referrals.
Flores points out that besides forgery, there is
one other threat to Philippine art: the lack of awareness,
especially in the present generation. “We’re fast losing out to
entertainment and to media,” Flores laments. Until steps are taken
to make the public aware of art forgery and the significance of
Filipino art and culture, the works of Luna, Amorsolo, Malang, or
Bencab may be consigned to the flea markets in the provinces, or
worse, the dustbin of history.
-- Kenneth Santos
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