Date of Award
2026
Document Type
Dissertation - Restricted Access (SIA Only)
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Art Business
Abstract
This dissertation investigates the continuing authority of traditional connoisseurship in art authentication considering the growing influence of scientific analysis and artificial intelligence (AI). Through three comparative case studies, the Knoedler Gallery forgery scandal, an AI-based authentication study of Jackson Pollock’s poured paintings, and the Lucian Freud Standing Male Nude dispute, supported by semi-structured interviews with art market professionals, the research examines how each method functions, competes, and collaborates within contemporary authentication practices. Findings reveal that while scientific and AI-based analyses provide relative objectivity, speed, and precision, their conclusions ultimately depend on expert validation and market trust rooted in connoisseurial authority. In the short term, connoisseurship and reputation-driven models remain dominant due to their interpretive and institutional legitimacy. However, as AI systems become more transparent, peer-reviewed, and integrated with material data, their influence is expected grow, signalling a gradual shift toward a more collaborative and interdisciplinary framework of authentication in the art market.
Recommended Citation
Demirci, Defne, "To What Extent is Traditional Connoisseurship Still Authoritative in the Authentication Process, Considering Emerging AI and Scientific Methods?" (2026). MA in Art Business Dissertations. 37.
https://digitalcommons.sia.edu/ma_art_bus/37