In 1847, two Botticelli paintings depicting Venus were acquired by the National Gallery. The authenticity of the picture now called ‘An Allegory’ (which was bought at a considerably larger sum than the other) was eventually brought into question by critics and curators.  The subject bear close resemblance to both ‘Venus and Mars’  and  ‘Venus and Three Putti’ (now in the Louvre), the later generally attributed to the workshop of Botticelli, but is stylistically and technically different, placing the painting outside of the Botticelli realm. While fears have arisen that the piece might be a masterly done fake, recent technological investigation has proven the painting to be a genuine late 15th or early 16th century painting.

While losing the high status of a Botticelli, and being downgraded to an unknown nobody, in the National Gallery’s exhibition “Close Examination: Fakes, Mistakes and Discoveries” it has been brought out into the limelight once again.

Unknown Italian, ‘An Allegory’, about 1500

Nothing beats a bit of mystery or myth surrounding a piece of art, whether it be the artists himself or the artwork and its owners. ‘Close Examination’ is an absolutely wonderful exhibition that looks at art forgery, imitations, alterations and restorations within the Gallery’s collection. Using human expertise and high-tech scientific examination, it uncovers the hidden truths (or lies) underneath those layers of paint.

Botticelli, ‘Venus and Mars’, about 1485