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Investigating the Authenticity and Attributions of works of art believed to be by;

Thomas (Tom) John Thomson

Tom Thomson

(1877 - 1917)

Canadian

   Tom Thomson's brief but brilliant artistic career was entirely influenced by the harshness of the Ontario landscape.

He would work as a wilderness guide in Algonquin Park until the winter freeze would force him back to a basic subsistence living in Toronto and he had rapidly became an expert canoeist, a strong swimmer and outdoorsman, making his untimely death more suspicious than ever.

 As is well recorded in Canadian history, on July 8, 1917, Thomson went missing on Canoe Lake, his upturned boat discovered later that afternoon. His body was found in the lake the following week with a serious head wound, unlikely made by a fall into the water.

 Into the woods he would often disappear alone for days, having spotted the perfect place to set up for sketches for a painting. Over the years, Thomson’s name has become synonymous with the Group of seven, though he never lived to actually be a part of it.

 His work is more than highly regarded in Canadian art and hugely collectible today. Thus the values increase and works are getting more and more rare, it's important to reflect on that fact and that long lost paintings, or those recently discovered, actually painted by Tom Thomson are going to be few and far between. Though it's not impossible for them to appear. Perhaps they just may have been tucked away with Canadian families for decades and are only now resurfacing.

 More commonly however, paintings that do appear are attributed to an artists hand, as well as those that are contributed from within their circle of influence, or those created by an artists followers. These in themselves are artists of all standards and calibres, who are simply working in an artists style and manner and of course, at any time in the past and with this brings a risk.

You must ask, is the attribution to a specific artist and a description of a work itself, reliable and sound?

 It is always important to be able to distinguish between those works actually executed by an artist such as Tom Thomson , compared to those either 'claiming' to be by that artist, or rather that we are told are by them.

 There are the scholarly academic attributions of course. Then the poorly informed guesses and always, when money is involved, the deliberate attempts of deception and by forgery.   This unfortunately is fairly common and includes the adding of signatures, monograms or inscriptions to otherwise anonymous works of art. Effected in the main in a generally similar way and of very similar subjects to a particular artist and clearly devised to impress a potential, gullible purchaser.  And this is the most common form of art fraud we see.

 But as the values of his works are high, there are always the excellent attempts at copying an artists hand by directly forging new variants of their works. These are usually executed over the top of an old pot boiler or amateur painting, bought at auction cheaply and convincingly from the artists actual era and cleaned off with solvents prior to a new creation being made.

* * *

 As an international specialist fine art consultancy, with bases in Canada, but also the UK and Europe to undertake our Old and Modern master research work archivally, we have been confidentially serving both private individuals and corporate clients across Canada and around the world for over 45 years.

 In so doing, investigating both single works of art and complete collections for clients and conducting in-depth authentication and legitimacy investigations and inquiries, as well as full academic and forensic investigations with multilingual archival research, into the origins of all works of art, from different geographical regions and periods. We also scrutinize and research the provenance and ownership lineage for verification purposes.

 We are able to assist and advise you in all fine art related matters, particularly issues of Canadian art authenticity and its attributions, including the works of Tom Thomson, his circle, or those of his followers. Frankly, any works of art that you need assistance and advice with.

 Some example paintings, associated with his name appear below as illustrations. 

Note: No inference is made, nor is it intended as to the question of legitimacy here. Moreover these are an across the board representational view of the differing types of works that are and may in the future be offered and advertised for sale at auction internationally.

   The duration and the direction of any authenticity investigation or inquiry into an attribution of a work of art will inevitably vary from project to project. But there are clear and very well defined professional formalities, responsibilities and areas of scrutiny that we can formally assist you with, including:

• Authentication: Authentification:   Conducting comprehensive investigations and in depth research into a work of art, with a view to establishing a correct, complete and formally recognized certification. One absolutely upheld by the appropriate, legally acknowledged and internationally sanctioned authority, body or given expert on that artist. Directing detailed and complicated inquiries, with multilingual capability, including any international academic research and forensic applications that are required.
  

•  Attribution:  Identifying and confirming the identity of a previously anonymous artist, studio or workshop from which a work of art most likely originated. Including the re-examination and investigation of a previous attribution which may be incorrect, or the scrutiny of an attribution that has been formally questioned or is currently formally doubted.
  

•  Confirmation:  Undertaking research and investigations into the legitimacy of the provenance, history and prior ownership of a work of art and establishing its accuracy and own legitimacy.
  
  

•  Scrutiny: Examen minutieux:  Identifying fake or faux works of art and forgeries, including any false supportive accompanying documentation and determining works of art which may be studio or later copies, or previously given, incorrect attributions.
  
  

•  Prosecution: Poursuite:  Investigating alleged art fraud and forgery and assisting and advising those who are currently, or may be considering litigating or prosecuting the fact. This includes colleagues who are legal professionals and individual private clients.
  
  

•  Attention:  Conducting all fine art related due diligence and duty of care inquiries. Including safe prepurchase or sale related audits and assisting clients in consolidating well balanced future family distribution.

•  Appraisal: Évaluation -  Valuations and condition reports.

Step one in the Art Authentication and Attribution process.

The Pre-Authentication Assessment

   L'évaluation de pré-authentification. La evaluación previa a la autenticación

 We strongly advise clients before embarking on a full investigation of legitimacy or an artist or studio attribution inquiry, that it is wise to have an impartial preliminary assessment conducted first. One made to balance any issues that may be present that could make the longer term exercise unviable.

 This is a professional advisory service that we provide, based upon the images you supply, the full details of work of arts acquisition, its history and provenance as is known to you, along with sight of any documentation, previous research or analysis that you may have had formerly conducted on it. You should then have a far better understanding of both the prospects or any pitfalls we might face, before making a decision.

This is a logical and cost effective professional review and advisory for which there is a modest set fee.

Our FAQ section covers this in more detail, or:

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ABOUT A WORK OF ARTS DESCRIPTOR AND TERMINOLOGY

  *It is very important to clearly understand the auction terms that are commonly used in any published descriptor and to be cautious of works that may just be created in the 'manner of' the artist, or those which could be variants of the artists works of art that 'bear a signature' or monogram. In this case as if they were defining the creations of the Canadian artist; Thomas (Tom) John Thomson Canadian (1877 - 1917)

•  Where the name, Tom Thomson (1877 - 1917), is given with the first name/s and surname of the artist, usually cited as, Tom Thomson (1877 - 1917) including his dates to be specific, then in their qualified and professional opinion, they are in no doubt. It is a genuine and authentic item and one painted by that artist. This is usually fully qualified by its inclusion in any catalogue raissone, or by the guarantee of the opinion given by the appropriate and internationally recognized expert authority on the artist.

•  When Tom Thomson (1877 - 1917) is the term used, or it is similarly defined as Attrib. to ' [abbreviated,] or Attribué à, or ascribed to, then in their opinion it is 'probably' a work by the artist, at least in part. But... there is no guarantee. It is only an opinion that it 'possibly' may be by him.

•  But if the term Tom Thomson (1877 - 1917) - circle of, entourage, or “Circle of Tom Thomson ” is specifically used, then in their opinion, it is a work only of the period of the artist, but showing their influence. Or by someone closely associated with the artist, BUT not necessarily by their pupil or student.

•  When the name is given thus; Painted in the “Style of Tom Thomson ” or “Follower of Tom Thomson is used, this means that in their opinion it is a work of art executed only in the artist’s way, their 'style', but not necessarily by a pupil. Yet it may be a contemporary, or nearly a contemporary of the artist.

•  If the phrase in the “Manner Tom Thomson is used or is defined….” then in their opinion it is also only a work painted in the style of the artist, but of a later date and definitely not by the artist as named.

•  When the term “After….Tom Thomson "; is the term used, then in their opinion it is a copy (made at any date) of an authentic and original work by the artist. This also applies to prints made 'after' an original work of art either by the artist or another artist/ printmaker.

•  Signed - Tom Thomson; “Dated….” or “Inscribed Tom Thomson ” Then in their opinion the work has been signed/dated/or inscribed by that specific artist. The addition of a question mark ? however, indicates a strong element of doubt.

•  When the term 'Bears signature', is used or the name, Tom Thomson is specified followed by the words; "With signature ….”, or “With date ….” or “With inscription….” or “Bears signature of Tom Thomson /date/or inscription” Then in 'their opinion,' either the signature / date / or inscription is spurious, forged or has been added by someone else other than the artist.
  

We can assist and advise you in all fine art related matters.

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