How many paintings have been assessed by the First Hungarian Painting Expert?s Office since it was formed? Which of these paintings was the most important for Hungarian art history?
It is too early to ask the latter question because our expert office was only set up very recently, about four months ago. Despite this, a surprising number of people have contacted us, including collectors and dealers. The number of paintings we have evaluated in writing or orally will soon exceed 200.The most important and perhaps most attractive painting we have come across was by Béla Iványi-Grünwald, from his Kecskemét period. The office has also received several paintings purported to be by Rippl-Rónai and Aba-Novák. We delivered an assessment of these. It is very important for Hungarian art history to find important but unidentified works and it also gives us much greater excitement and pleasure. For instance we have managed to identify an unsigned painting by Bertalan Székely and there were also other cases when we discovered a painting whose owner had no idea of its origin.
To what extent do art history expertise and material inspection play roles in your evaluation?
All the tasks we have received so far involved stylistic criticism of the works. If we are requested to carry out material inspection any time in the future, we will certainly do that, too. So far we have not had to take paint samples for instance but if there is demand for any kind of scientific tests, the office will do that, too.
To what extent can your office keep its independence from experts working for dealers that represent well-known artists and those that manage artists? estates? Experienced collectors will often only accept works by such artists if it is accompanied by an assessment of a dedicated expert.
We aim to work together but at the same time, this is an independent expert?s office that will always accept the responsibility for any assessment it issues. Each period and artist has dedicated experts and if necessary, we will consult them. Also, when the need arises, we will contact those managing an artist?s estate and they can often supply documents and photographs that can help with the success of our work. We have also found that sometimes they contact us first and request our help to clear through a collection and throw out counterfeits.
What is your opinion about auction sites? Thousands of paintings can make their way to such sites without any control and many counterfeiters will try to find their victims this way. Does this have any effect on the Hungarian art market?
The presence of many counterfeit works definitely has an effect. If these are up on the internet, it is very bad but equally destructive is when they are sold by galleries. We have never been contacted by people who put up counterfeited works for sale on the internet. They are probably aware that these are not original works and it would be a waste of money to ask for our expert assessment. But it has happened that someone asked for our advice about the originality of a work offered for sale at a very low price on the internet. I believe that if someone has met their fate several times buying unchecked items, then they will sooner or later realise that it is basically best to buy from experts, well-known galleries and auction houses.
To what extent do the participants in the art market make a connection between the Kieselbach Gallery and the expert?s office? Do rival galleries ever contact the First Hungarian Painting Expert?s Office?
The expert?s office is an independent legal entity but it obviously maintains links with the gallery considering that we collect the paintings there. Despite this, surprisingly, quite a few dealers and auction houses want our experts to review their possessions.
Can we expect similar cooperation between participants in order to cleanse the art market like a few years ago, before the WANTED exhibition?
We share the same aims with galleries that operate honourably. Whether we try to achieve this competing with each other or by everyone trying to clean up the art market in their own areas of specialty is just a matter of detail. There has always been a certain level of cooperation between the galleries and honourable dealers have always tried to keep counterfeits out of the market. Those who plan in the long term in the art market are against having manipulated pictures in circulation. Despite this, it?s not going to happen overnight. It?s a Sisyphean task. But it?s important to point out that the painting expert?s office basically works in the interest of Hungarian painting. Filtering out counterfeits is only one of our important activities. Equally important is to discover masterworks that represent important contributions to Hungarian art history and bring them out of obscurity.
What do you think about the future of assessing paintings in Hungary? Is it only the task of the private sector to clear through the Hungarian art market and consequently Hungarian art history or would it be necessary to also get help from an independent public institution?
There have been independent public institutions on the painting assessment market and for a very long time they provided information. I think it?s important that the expert opinion should be a responsible one and that?s very difficult to ensure at state level. The First Hungarian Painting Expert?s Office is filling a hiatus in the market which developed when the national gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts withdrew from these activities for several years.
How is the opinion of the First Hungarian Painting Expert?s Office different from certificates issued by a renowned gallery or auction house?
In this respect, one can say that the auction houses and galleries have been assessing paintings for some time, considering that they certified their objects and took responsibility for them. We mostly receive paintings before they are assessed on the market.
Interviewer: Tamás Szabó
