Science cafe series explores forged artworks

By Colleen Donovan - bio | email

HATTIESBURG, MS. (WDAM) - Southern Miss is preparing to host the university's second semester of the Science Café series. It's a free program that educates anyone in the community about interesting science topics.

The first session of the program takes place on January 24th at six PM at the Cook Library's Starbucks coffee shop.

Jan Siesling, the Director of the Southern Miss Museum of Art, will discuss some cutting edge techniques being used in the Netherlands to tell the difference between a fake and authentic Vincent Van Gogh work of art.

Siesling says during the 20th century, works by the famed Dutch artist, were among the most commonly forged. New computerized techniques determine authenticity by analyzing brush strokes. Van Gogh is known for his unique strokes of paint.

"So even if a fake is as beautiful - if you want, as beautiful or more beautiful than an original, it has not at all the same value. And why was Van Gogh often victim of fakes? Because he is so expensive," said Siesling.

Siesling is a expert on Van Gogh's Art. The Science Café lecture series is sponsored by the Public Broadcasting Program, NOVA, which produced a special about the techniques used to determine authentic Van Gogh works. That feature will be shown during the lecture series.

Copyright 2011 WDAM. All rights reserved.