| Description: | The function of "art expertise" is to make a precise assessment of a work of art in terms of its aesthetic significance, its material evidence, its documentary importance (history) and its market value. With the birth of the art market, in addiction the art collector and the art dealer we now find the "art consultant": an expert in the field of visual arts who is able to recognize the characteristics of specific periods, schools and artists. Furthermore, he or she is able to distinguish an original work from a copy or an imitation and assess its market value. Beginning with the definition of what a "work of art" is and a discussion on the criteria to define quality, the course will lead the students through the ins and outs of both selling and buying. The following issues will be part of the course: the "connoisseur" and the "art consultant"; classification of works of art (file and the auction catalogue); scientific diagnostic procedures; fakes and "revivals"; Italian and international art legislation; auctions (visits to the Pandolfini auction house in Florence). |