- To identify forgeries, the first step is usually to analyze materials and determine if they were relevant when the painting was created.
- However, sophisticated forgers ensure that the materials and painting techniques match authentic works.
- A more advanced scientific method involves analyzing a painting’s radiocarbon (carbon-14) levels.
- Carbon-14 is a radioactive isotope that naturally declines over time.
- Developing more advanced authentication techniques is restrained by fear.
- Extracting samples from authentic works could lead to damage.
