Is that famous piece of art real or is it a well crafted fake.

Experts at the world most prestigious museums have had a few embarrassing moments of their staffs & experts being fooled by forgers.

From now until April 10th, 2011, the Detroit Institute of Arts will show almost 50 inauthentic or questionable objects dating back to a supposedly Sumerian statuette, (that was actually carved in Berlin in the 1920's) and take you behind the scenes to see how the experts and scientists determine if a work of art is authentic or a forgery.

“The DIA has been collecting and displaying art for more than 125 years,” said Graham W. J. Beal, DIA director. “And alongside the many masterpieces found in the tens of thousands of works of art we have acquired, there are some that are not what they were thought to be at the time they were acquired. This exhibition shows how ongoing scholarship and scientific research refines and clarifies our understanding of what we are looking at.”

Text and videos explain how the imposter art work has been identified.

The Detroit Institute has also brought out acquisitions that scholars are still debating, including one of a Vincent van Gogh  bouquet that just might not be a real van Gogh.

The show is in three sections or galleries, the first, displays works that were once attributed to a certain artist or culture but have been re-evaluated based on new findings. The second, displays known forgeries, with explanations on how the museum came to that conclusion. And the final section contains ongoing “mysteries.” Art that has been examined by curators, conservators and scientists and still remain unclear if they are real.

For more information visit the DIA Website .

You can also see the DIA on YouTube
Tickets for the Fakes, Forgeries, and Mysteries exhibit.
$12 for adults, $6 for ages 6–17, and free for DIA members.
(this includes museum admission)

Museum Hours and Admission
10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays,
10 a.m.–10 p.m. Fridays,
10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

General Museum Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors, $4 for ages 6–17, and free for DIA members.