The photographic image of works of art as an instrument of expert appraisal and attribution (on the example of paintings and drawings by V. I. Shukhaev)

Abstract

The article is based on a study of paintings and drawings by Vasily Ivanovich Shukhaev (1887–1973) from the collections of state museums and private collections, as well as from works available on the antiques market. The study again poses the question of artwork appraisal and attribution and, accordingly, of research methods and tools used by experts. The appraisal and attribution practice of the author of this article has shown the importance of using photographic images of works of art, museum and exhibition displays and interiors of residential premises that captured the works examined, and photographs of natural landscapes taken by artists himself. Of particular value are photographs taken during the author’s lifetime and received in archival storage from his collection. In addition to the above, these include photographs containing inscriptions on the passe-partout or on the back. All this material allows one to imagine what the lost works of art looked like, provides a basis for confirming the authorship and date of creation of the artist’s works, makes it possible to identify variants and copies of paintings, exclude fakes, show stages and peculiarities in the creation of a work of art by the artist, and in some cases witness the repainting of works many years later, which was typical of V.I. Shukhaev. The use of photographic images in expert attribution work can concretize and visualize the creative path and activity of the artist, which is important for objective study of their art and can be used in research, museum exhibition, and educational work by humanities specialists.