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Fondazione Gottfried Matthaes |
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Museo d'Arte e Scienza |
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its extraordinary didactic collections for verifying authenticity, |
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Over 2,000 items are on display in the Museum's 18 rooms covering the main sectors of antiques. Of particular interest are the two exhibitions on Leonardo da Vinci, the prestigious collections of excavated pottery, Buddhist Art and African Art, and Interactive equipment at the disposal of visitors . |
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Themes
treated in the various rooms: |
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Few people know
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Didactic sections of the
Museum of Art and Science |
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Founded in 1990 as a Teaching Museum for recognizing authenticity in the field of art and antiques, the Museo d'Arte e Scienza, with its 18 rooms and new theme itineraries, aims to guide visitors on an interesting tour of authentic objects, copies and fakes. Each room is dedicated to a specific sector, ranging from furniture, tapestries, carpets, paintings and icons to excavated pottery. In addition to these broad themes, a great variety of materials are analysed including, among others, ivory, metals, glass and porcelain. For each topic, art collectors, art buffs or just curious spectators are shown how to recognize all the signs for telling authentic items from imitations with the help of tangible examples and small practical demonstrations. |
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Room 7a - Themes treated: to determine the authenticity of furniture, sculptures, and wooden object. |
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Room 7b - Themes treated: to determine the authenticity of Carpets and Tapestries. |
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Room 8 - Themes treated: to determine the authenticity of excavated pottery. |
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| Room 9 - Themes treated: to determine the authenticity of paintings on panel and canvas, icons and prints. |
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| Room 9 - Themes treated: to determine the authenticity of ivory and amber objects. |
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| Room 9 - Themes treated: to determine the authenticity of ceramics and glass objects. |
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| Room 9 - Themes treated: to determine the authenticity of metal, silver, Sheffield and bronzes objects. |
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Every section has explanatory panels, written in three languages, which clearly describe the exhibited objects and the specific characteristics that the visitor must observe. All the treated themes are moreover largely described in the 3 volumes issued by the Museum: "The Art Collector's Illustrated Handbook", of which you may have all the information visiting www.ArtAndScienceHandbook.com |
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ADDITIONALLY, in the Museum rooms there are nine interactive test stations at the disposal of visitors for simple tests for ascertaining the authenticity of antiques. |
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Test
station room 7: |
Test
station room 8: |
Test station room 9: test for revealing use of plastic |
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Test station room 9: identification of authentic icons with Wood’s light |
Test station room 9: examination with a magnifying glass of signs of wear and decorations on china |
the microscope distinguishes authentic patinas and encrustations from faked ones |
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loptical examination of signs of wear to identify an authentic piece of silverware |
shadow reveals industrial or handcrafted manufacture of glass |
the dull sound of a porcelain item reveals hidden restoration work |
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Rooms 3-3a |
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The Museum laboratory’s mission is to improve existing scientific methods and
elaborate new methods for the ascertainment of the authenticity of art objects.
The laboratory’s instruments and know-how for the determining of authenticity are
at the disposal of collectors, art experts, restorers, art galleries and
museums.
The laboratory of the Museum of Art and
Science is a no profit facility |
Tests carried out by the
laboratory:
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Spectroscopic dating and characterization of wooden objects |
Microscopic tests on paintings, antique bronzes, excavated pottery etc. |
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Examination of underlying layers using infrared reflectography |
Analyses of paint layers with a duroflexometer |
Analyses with Wood’s light, UV and IR |
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FURTHER ANALYSES PERFORMED IN THE LABORATORY: |
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PRICES:
the average cost of analyses is 75 Euro for each test; some tests
are conclusive in telling fake and authentic items apart, such as
wood dating and tests on the encrustations on pottery and bronzes. |
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NOW OPERATIVE !
Branch of the Milan
scientific laboratory for determining the
authenticity
of valuable antique art objects
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The house, which has belonged to the Matthaes Foundation (Museo d’Arte e Scienza) for 45 years, is situated on the shores of Lake Constance, near Lindau. |
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Museo d’Arte e Scienza |
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For further info: |
www.Museoartescienza.com
www.Spectroscopyforart.com |
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Section of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza |
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Room 1 - Permanent exhibition: "Leonardo Da Vinci Citizen of Milan" An overview is given of his intense activity during the twenty years spent in Milan, the city where Leonardo gave expression to all the aspects of his universal genius. Themes treated: Leonardo Da Vinci's activities in Milan, Leonardo ingenious painter, Leonardo expert of optics and perspective, Leonardo master of revels at the ducal court, Leonardo military engineer. |
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Room 2 - Themes treated: chronology of Leonardo Da Vinci's activities in Milan, the characteristics of a genius, Leonardo sculptor, Leonardo expert of flight, Leonardo expert of inland waterways. |
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Room 2 - Section dedicated to Mona Lisa |
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THE
MONA LISA’S MYSTERIOUS SMILE
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The mysterious allure of Leonardo’s portraits lies, therefore, in his invisible brushwork. Leonardo applied his colours in layers that were almost imperceptible, building up layer upon layer in order to achieve the desired effect in every point of his painting. With this technique the outlines of objects and details disappear. |
A clear demonstration of the lack of outlines is given by this enlarged photograph of the Mona Lisa’s lips. The lips with the famous smile do not exist, they are only nuances of colour |
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The impossibility of copying Leonardo |
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Recent copy by F. Pari |
Leonardo’s Mona Lisa |
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Rooms 11-12 |
Permanent
exhibition on Treatise on Painting: "Appreciating Art through the Eyes of Leonardo Da Vinci" |
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The most important articles of the Treatise on Painting, containing his ideas and advice to painters and sculptors, are explained with practical examples and interactive stations. Themes treated: sculpture and painting compared, the sculptor, faces, drapery, bass-reliefs, light and shade in sculpture. Painting, the painter, the art of copying, colour, light and shade in painting. |
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End of section dedicated to Leonardo |
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Section of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza |
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Rooms 14 -15 - African Art
One of Italy’s major permanent exhibitions with over
300 items of high historic/artistic value which tell
us what life was really like in Black Africa: the
different social status of men and women, cults,
masks, everyday objects, curiosities connected with
the traditions of a number of tribes, and contacts
with the West. |
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Rooms 16 -17-18 - African Art Themes treated: the cult of the dead, oracles, the world of men, instruments of power, musical instruments, coins, the warrior, contact and reciprocal influence between African art and the West. |
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For more information: www.AfricanArtAuthenticity.com
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Room 13 - Oriental Art 150 high-quality items from South-East Asia go to make up a fascinating exhibition and help an understanding of the Buddhist spirit and iconography. Themes treated: Buddhist art of South-East Asia and minor Asian arts; stone, wood, bronze and ivory objects |
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Detailed information on The authenticity of objects of art and on Leonardo da Vinci’s Treatise on Painting to be found in following books of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza: |
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The Art Collector’s Illustrated Handbook |
Appreciating Arte |
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The most
complete and updated Handbook about the Authenticity ascertainment
in Art and Antiques with
540 pages and more than 2000 colour illustrations in 3 Volumes and 3
languages |
An abridged edition of
the famous “Treatise on Painting” of Leonardo da Vinci. 157 pages
and numerous colour photos. |
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These books are on sale at the Museum or can be sent by post.
Prices:
Illustrated Handbook Euro
40,00
volume
1
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Some pages of the
Illustrated Handbook concerning |
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Some
pages from the book “Appreciating Art through the Eyes of Leonardo” |
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The Founders and the permanent staff
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Gottfried
Matthaes |
Giovanna
Cozzi Matthaes |
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Dott. Chim.
Peter
Matthaes |
Patrizia
Matthaes Administration |
Silvia Mayer Language and Communication |
Dott. Avv.
Martin Matthaes Lawyer - International Law |
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Chiara
Civardi First lab assistant |
Roberta
Delmoro Art Historian (Freelance) |
Marta
Cugnasca Data processing |
Sonia
Checchini Conservation |
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www.LeonardoDaVinciMilano.com - two permanent exhibitions: "Leonardo Citizen of Milan" and "Appreciating Art through the Eyes of Leonardo" from his "Treatise on Painting".
www.ArtAndScienceHandbook.com - The most complete and scientifically valid guide to ascertaining the authenticity of European and non-European antiques on an objective basis (540 pages and more than 2000 colour illustrations in 3 volumes and 3 languages)
www.AuthenticAfricanBronzesandCeramics.com - dedicated to the authenticity of African artworks in bronze, stone and pottery. The scientific laboratory of the Museo d’Arte e Scienza has developed valid methods for telling authentic African objects from copies and fakes.
www.Paintingsauthenticity.com - Information about the authenticity of modern paintings and antique paintings
www.AntiqueFurnitureAuthenticity.com - A list of possible
methods for determining the authenticity of furniture based on objective
factors.
www.Excavatedartauthenticity.com
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"A list of all the
possible ways of determining, on the basis of objective factors, the
authenticity of excavated pottery, glass or bronze items from Southern Italy,
the Mediterranean Basin, China and South America.".
www.AfricanArtAuthenticity.com - "Art and Life in Black Africa", The African Art didactic section of the Museum (5 rooms and over 350 objects).
www.SpectroscopyforArt.com - Scientific method for the dating of the wood and identification of the wood type used for art objects. Determination of their authenticity through analysis of colours, binders, pigments and other organic substances.
www.C14spectrodating.com -
Spectroscopic
measurements complementing dating obtained with the C14 method that appears
uncertain or impossible.
www.DendroSpectroChronology.com - Spectroscopic measurements complementing the uncertain results of dendrochronological dating.
www.Matthaes.org
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The history of
the G. Matthaes Foundation
from the opening of the painting school
www.CopiesAndFakesInArt.com - Ample further descriptions for ascertaining the authenticity in art for the individual fields of antiques.
www.IvoryAuthenticityAndAge.com - Ivory, bones and horns can now be spectroscopically dated and recognized with precision.
www.LeonardoTeacherofPaintinginMilan.com - An abridged and illustrated edition of the “Treatise on Painting”.