Etruscan Forgeries  (The 2019-20 Ridgway Lecture)

Abstract: Forgeries are a feature of almost every period of art history. After a brief examination of the earliest documented Etruscan forgeries, created by Annio da Viterbo in the late 15^th century, the lecture focuses on forgeries of Etruscan art made by Italian artists in the late 19^th and early 20^th  century. Two groups are examined: terracotta sarcophagi and large-scale terracotta statues. In the process of revealing their histories, the lecture examines the reasons why Etruscan art is especially attractive to forgers and demonstrates ongoing methods to determine authenticity.