After nine months of intensive investigation to untangle evidence and resolve uncertainties, Paul Gauguin's "Self-Portrait with Glasses" has returned to its display at the Basel Kunstmuseum. The Swiss institution now firmly declares the painting authentic, concluding a controversy that had shaken the art world and challenged the museum's 80-year ownership of the work.
The painting's authenticity came under scrutiny earlier this year when Fabrice Fourmanoir, a French Gauguin specialist, raised questions about the work's legitimacy. Fourmanoir, who describes himself as both a passionate admirer of Gauguin who claims to have seen all of the artist's works and as a challenger in the art authentication world, sparked the investigation that would consume months of scholarly research. The 68-year-old expert has made a name for himself by identifying forgeries, including a successful challenge in 2020 that led the Getty Museum in Los Angeles to deattribute a sculpture following his alert and their internal investigation.
The Basel Kunstmuseum has now presented what it considers definitive proof of the painting's authenticity, effectively declaring the matter closed. The work has been rehung in its traditional spot, with museum officials expressing confidence in their conclusion after the exhaustive analysis. The painting's complex trajectory, which museum staff describe as worthy of a detective novel plot, has been thoroughly examined and deemed consistent with an authentic Gauguin work.
However, Fourmanoir remains unconvinced by the museum's findings and indicates that the controversy may not be entirely resolved. When asked about his motivations for pursuing what he sees as Gauguin forgeries over the years, the French specialist was candid about his approach. "I'm not going to tell you my life story, but at 68 years old, if I can no longer achieve athletic feats..." he began, suggesting that art authentication has become his new challenge.
The case highlights the ongoing complexities in art authentication, where expertise, institutional reputation, and scholarly debate intersect. While the Basel Kunstmuseum considers the matter definitively settled with their authentication of the self-portrait, the persistence of doubt from the original challenger suggests that questions about attribution in the art world can extend far beyond institutional declarations. The painting continues to hang in Basel, officially authenticated but still the subject of scholarly disagreement.
