Thursday, June 20, 2013 - 
art crime lecture,art forgery,Noah Charney
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art crime lecture,art forgery,Noah Charney
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Week 3 from Amelia: ARCA Intern Yasmin Hamed on Dr. Noah Charney's Course on Art Crime, Forgeries, Umbrian olive oil, and visiting nearby towns
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| Spoleto |
After a week of getting to grips with classes and living like Amerini, students in ARCA's Postgraduate Program in Art Crime and Cultural Heritage Protection hit the
ground running this week both in and out of the classroom. Monday’s cold
weather was met with a warm welcome from Dr. Noah Charney, founder of ARCA, in ‘Art Crime and its History’.
Following an introduction to
art history, we were instructed on how to read the symbols of art and question
everything concerning the provenance of an artwork. Day Two of our introduction to the history of art crime was
aptly titled ‘Art forgery: The World Wants to be Deceived’. Pouring over centuries of case studies related to all that is fake
and forged in the art world, we were introduced to some of the most infamous
names in the history of art forgery; John Myatt and John Drewe; Han Van Meegeren; and
Shaun Greenhaulgh. In keeping with the theme of connoisseurship deeply explored
in the past two weeks, we examined fakes within the world of wine.
On Wednesday, Dr. Charney asked the student body to reverse its
role and contemplate our own art forgery. After going around the room it was
clear to see that not only did our class dive at the chance to plan their own
art crime, but for some more than others a career as a master thief may work as
a possible Plan B! On a more serious note, this discussion revealed the
alarming ease of forging and smuggling art and antiquities. Carrying on from
last week, the astounding interconnectivity of each and everyone’s own
expertise definitely shone a light on the multifaceted nature of the world of art
crime. For example, Mark Collins, a current investigator with the Ontario police, was well
equipped to create a suspect profile of criminals in the art world.
After a long day of planning illegal activities,
the class descended on the local oil mill for an extremely tasty evening. Along
with Monica Di Stefano, the class was introduced to the family of Francesco
Suatoni, our local amerino oil producer. Having learned all about the history
and production process of olive oil and getting a first-hand view of the
presses themselves, the class was treated to a tasting of the local Umbrian
olives.
The week
progressed with a broadening of our definitions of art crime. Examining the
theft of books and literature, bibliographer Anna Knutson was once again able
to offer her insights to the class on this niche area of criminal activity.
The
end of class Thursday held an exam on all aspects of the history of art crime,
famous case studies and definition, after which a much needed celebration was
in order! The class ascended the hills of Amelia to the apartment of this
year’s writer-in-residence Susan Douglas, a lecturer and writer based in
Toronto. Some good wine, great food and even better discussions were had, no
doubt leaving a few of us more tired than usual for our last day of Dr.
Charney’s lectures. Our final afternoon with ARCA’s founder saw us segue from
the world of art crime to obtaining some insider knowledge on the world of
publishing. Unsurprisingly, a large number of students seemed intent on
publishing in some area whether it be through fiction, academic books or
journal articles, all of which were covered in detail with numerous insider
tips during Dr. Charney’s session.
On Friday night
we said an official goodbye to Cristina Tardaguila, a student visiting the
programme for just one week. Tardaguila who currently works as a journalist in
Brazil, was a welcome addition throughout the week with many insights into the
interaction of the media and art crime, most notably with regard to the
severity of antiquities smuggling in South America.
The second ARCA weekend
trip of the summer beyond the walls of Amelia led us to Assisi and Spoleto, two
similar hilltop Umbrian cities with what can only be described as having spectacular
panoramic views. Led by our guides Pierluca Neri
and Alessandro Manciucca, both Umbrian natives with a true
love of the region, we first explored the Church of St. Francis of Assisi among
others whilst including a short wander around the cobbled streets of the town’s
many craft shops. Spoleto, although similar, had its own unique sights
including a trip to an astounding 13th century aqueduct pouring over
the valleys surrounding the town.
Here's a link to other posts by the ARCA Interns: orientation and the first week of classes with Dr. Tom Flynn. You may find out more about ARCA's education program here on the website.
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