[MSN] BERLIN - A German museum has discovered that a painting long believed to be by French impressionist Claude Monet is a forgery, officials said Thursday.

[MSN]

Restorers find Claude Monet painting in Cologne museum is forgery

11 hours ago

BERLIN - A German museum has discovered that a painting long believed to be
by French impressionist Claude Monet is a forgery, officials said Thursday.

The painting, previously believed to be Monet's "On the Banks of the Seine
by Port Villez," was unmasked as a fake when restorers analyzed it ahead of
an exhibition on the Impressionist period, according to the city government
in Cologne, where the Wallraf-Richartz Museum is located.

"We are laughing and crying at the same time," museum spokesman Stefan
Swertz said, adding that there had long been suspicions over the origins of
the picture, acquired by the museum in 1954.

A city government statement said that three pieces of evidence led to the
conclusion that the painting was a forgery. The artist did not immediately
paint with oils, but started with a preliminary sketch - not a typical Monet
technique.

The restorers also discovered a transparent glaze that was meant to simulate
the aging process and the forger gave the painting two signatures in
different colours.

The museum is not investigating who was responsible for the forgery, because
it appears to date to the 1920s, the city statement said.

The painting will nevertheless remain at the museum, showcasing the
capabilities of modern technology in examining paintings. The museum used
microscopes, infrared light and x-rays to examine 70 works.

"Of course it is sad to lose a significant and valuable original," museum
director Andreas Bluehm said. "But one can also see it as a gain for science
and as evidence of the high quality of our restoration department."

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