Blog
Our musings on art, diagnostics and more
Our latest articles
Highlights
Museum Qualities
The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) once again, on March 12 to 19, presented its unmissable event , reaffirming itself as a must-attend gathering for collectors, critics, museum curators, and art lovers from around the world. With 276 dealers and galleries from...
Join the 5th Edition of Florence Heri-Tech
From 26 to 30 April 2026, the fifth edition of Florence Heri-Tech returns to Florence. The conference is dedicated to technologies applied to cultural heritage, diagnostics, conservation, and the enhancement of cultural assets. This edition introduces several...
Brussels Art Fair (BRAFA) 2026
Among the exhibited paintings, there is an unpublished oil on paper by Rubens, along with several works stylistically attributable to him which, however, the vetting committee chose to classify as studio works. There are also over 40 prints by Rembrandt, many works by...
Berenson and Lotto: Intertwined Destinies
A documentary in cinemas and on TV, featuring Art-Test Two emigrants who found success far from home: Berenson and Lotto, who, in turn, brought success to one another. Because, of course, there are trends in art too—and influencers have always existed. Bernard...
Art World
Oriental Treasures or Trickery?
The South Asian modern art market is experiencing a golden age: last year, auction sales surpassed $100 million, driven by works from masters still relatively unknown in the West, such as S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, and Ganesh Pyne, whose pieces are now fetching...
A great scholar died: David Hockney
The art world has recently lost David Hockney, one of the most renowned and beloved contemporary painters, whose works achieved staggering valuations—even while he was still alive. David Hockney, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with two figures), 1972 What many may not...
Healing Pain through Beauty
There are books that should be read slowly, allowing oneself to listen deeply to what the written words evoke in the depths of one’s soul. Such is the case with “Soothing Pain with Beauty” by Alessandra Dino. This is an intense work that explores the memory of the...
Museum Qualities
The European Fine Art Foundation (TEFAF) once again, on March 12 to 19, presented its unmissable event , reaffirming itself as a must-attend gathering for collectors, critics, museum curators, and art lovers from around the world. With 276 dealers and galleries from...
Art news to your inbox
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and get the latest news in the field of fine art, restoration and diagnostics.
Discoveries and attributions
Oriental Treasures or Trickery?
The South Asian modern art market is experiencing a golden age: last year, auction sales surpassed $100 million, driven by works from masters still relatively unknown in the West, such as S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, and Ganesh Pyne, whose pieces are now fetching...
A great scholar died: David Hockney
The art world has recently lost David Hockney, one of the most renowned and beloved contemporary painters, whose works achieved staggering valuations—even while he was still alive. David Hockney, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with two figures), 1972 What many may not...
How do you scientifically study an artwork?
Art-Test interviewed by Geopop after the controversy over the 14th century panel painting exported to Switzerland A few days ago, we were delightfully invited by journalist Alessandra Lanza, editor at the popular science outlet Geopop (geopop.it), to discuss a precise...
Impressionists up-close
Often, what we study—both for pleasure and for work—is not well represented in our museums. That’s why we must travel, and beyond major institutions, we also need to explore smaller, local museums. Driven by the need to see the works and their depicted landscapes in...
Two Maffeo Barberini by Caravaggio. Which one is the original one?
Three months have now passed since the Ministry of Culture announced the acquisition—from a private owner—of Caravaggio’s Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini, a work that has since entered the Italian State’s heritage and joined the collections of the National...
Two disgraces and a very fortunate event
How a Fake Medieval Illustration hid The Lost Genius of Archimedes The Archimedes Palimpsest is one of the most extraordinary books in human history. But if we can read it today, it is only thanks to a test conducted with ultraviolet light. We are talking about the...
Art-Test in action
When an exhibition closes, what truly remains?
There are the numbers, of course: tickets sold, long queues, unanimous critical acclaim. Yet what endures longest is often invisible—the questions that are opened, the knowledge gained, the conversations that continue to unfold long after the doors have closed. This...
Xray imaging an old but gold technique for art analysis. Let’ discover it together
Did you know that X-rays imaging is the oldest physical analysis technique used in art?It’s been 130 years since it was first applied, and it’s become so established that the phrase “X-ray scanned” has even entered everyday language — meaning something has been...
Caravaggio in Florence
An Exhibition to Discover Not Only the Painter and His Canvases, but Also Roberto Longhi and Anna Banti, Who (Re)Discovered Caravaggio From March 27 to July 20, 2025, Villa Bardini in Florence will host the exhibition Caravaggio and the Twentieth Century: Roberto...
Who painted “La Dama”?
The Restoration and Analysis Reveal the Secrets of Pollaiolo’s Lady at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum The latest restoration of the painting Lady at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum in Milan has been completed. As often happens with careful restorations, the painting has revealed...
In Arezzo, an Exhibition Features Numerous Works by Giorgio Vasari, investigated with Art-Test Diagnostics
Giorgio Vasari is universally renowned as the author of the first “art history handbook.” Who hasn’t studied the opening chapters of his celebrated Lives? Yet Vasari’s contribution extends far beyond this iconic text. He was a remarkably talented artist and architect,...
The Ashmolean Museum Acquires a Small Crucifixion by Fra Angelico. Ahead of the major 2025 Exhibition in Florence
During the London Art Week of 2023, Christie's of London had proposed the sale of a rare Renaissance masterpiece, the Crucifixion with the Virgin, Saint John the Baptist, and Mary Magdalene at the Feet of the Cross, unanimously attributed to the early work of the...
