An artificial intelligence system has challenged the art world's conventional wisdom by authenticating a painting as an original work by Caravaggio that experts had previously dismissed as a copy. The artwork in question, "The Lute Player," painted around 1596, is one of three existing versions of this composition and represents the version housed at Badminton House in Gloucestershire, England.
The Swiss AI company Art Recognition used sophisticated software analysis to conclude that this particular version is indeed an authentic work by the Italian master Caravaggio (1571-1610), contradicting decades of expert opinion. The painting was originally created for Cardinal del Monte before entering the Barberini collection in the 1620s, and was later sold to the Duke of Beaufort in the 18th century, where it remained at Badminton House for several centuries.
When the painting was examined during a 1969 sale, experts from Sotheby's and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York concluded it was a replica painted in 1642 by Carlo Magnone for Cardinal del Monte. This assessment led to the work being sold for a mere 860 euros, and it was subsequently acquired in 2001 by art historian and dealer Clovis Whitfield for 80,000 euros—a bargain price if it truly is an original by the master of chiaroscuro.
Adding another twist to the authentication controversy, Art Recognition has also questioned the authenticity of another version of "The Lute Player" from the famous collection of art dealer Daniel Wildenstein (1917-2001), which had long been considered authentic. Meanwhile, the third version, housed in the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg, Russia, remains unanimously accepted as genuine by art experts.
The AI system's analysis revealed an 85.7 percent probability that the Badminton House version is an original Caravaggio, which Art Recognition's director Carina Popovici describes as a "very high" result. The technology compared high-definition photographs of the painting and its details against images of 200 known Caravaggio works, as well as pieces by his contemporaries with similar styles, using mathematical precision and rigor.
Founded in 2019, Art Recognition specializes in using AI tools for artwork authentication. The company's assessment is supported not only by technical analysis but also by historical documentation. Giovanni Baglione's 1642 biography of Caravaggio describes "The Lute Player" in terms that more closely match the Badminton House version than the Wildenstein version, lending additional credibility to the AI's conclusion.
The algorithm has already authenticated hundreds of artworks, including a "Portrait of Gabrielle" by Auguste Renoir and Vincent van Gogh's self-portrait at the National Museum in Oslo. It has also successfully exposed forgeries, such as "Bridge and Barges on the Seine," which was presented as a 1908 oil painting by Max Pechstein but was actually the work of notorious forger Wolfgang Beltracchi.
Despite its successes, the AI tool has raised concerns among some specialists who argue that it cannot account for human sensitivity or scientific analysis of pigments and canvas materials. However, museums are taking the technology seriously, and it has proven to be a useful complement when experts are undecided about authentications.
The current revelation has divided expert opinion. Some support the AI's assessment, including luthier David van Edwards, president of the Lute Society, who has noted inconsistencies in the musical instrument depicted in the Wildenstein version that are absent from both the Badminton and Hermitage versions. However, George Gordon, co-chairman of Sotheby's Worldwide Old Master Paintings, maintains his original position regarding the work's attribution.
Skepticism about AI reliability persists, with critics pointing to a 2023 incident where two different algorithms produced contradictory results when analyzing a Raphael work. Despite these concerns, the trajectory of the newly revalued artwork appears inevitable.
Currently on display in London, the presumed Caravaggio will likely be entrusted to a British institution by its owner, collector Clovis Whitfield, who is already planning to dedicate a podcast and documentary to the painting. This case highlights the growing influence of artificial intelligence in art authentication, even as it continues to generate debate within the traditional art establishment about the balance between technological analysis and human expertise.
