Vermeer painting 'Girl with a Flute' declared a fake by National Gallery


A painting titled Girl with a Flute, long believed to have been made by the Dutch baroque master Johannes Vermeer, has been determined to be a fake. Photo courtesy of the National Gallery of Art

Oct. 7 (UPI) -- A 17th Century painting long believed to have been made by the Dutch baroque master Johannes Vermeer has been declared a fake by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.

The painting, titled Girl with a Flute, is now believed to have been made by an associate of Vermeer in his studio, challenging long-held assumptions that Vermeer worked alone.

The National Gallery announced the new findings during a press conference Friday ahead of the Saturday opening of an exhibit called Vermeer's Secrets.

The museum has since updated its gallery notes for the painting, describing it as having been made by the "studio of Johannes Vermeer."

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"Although the general character and appearance of the work relate closely to works by Vermeer, especially Girl with the Red Hat, the quality falls short of Vermeer's standards," the gallery notes now read.

"Girl with a Flute demonstrates an awareness of Vermeer's idiosyncratic painting processes -- such as the use of certain unusual pigments and the distinctive application of highlights -- but a lack of skill or experience in reproducing them."

The National Gallery noted that no surviving documents provide evidence that Vermeer maintained a studio with pupils or assistants who worked with him.

"The existence of other artists working with Johannes Vermeer is perhaps one of the most significant new findings about the artist to be discovered in decades. It fundamentally changes our understanding of Vermeer," said Kaywin Feldman, director of the National Gallery of Art.

"I am incredibly proud of the interdisciplinary team of National Gallery staff who worked together to study these paintings, building on decades of research and using advanced scientific technology to uncover exciting discoveries that add new insight to what we know about the enigmatic artist."

The new research also determined that the Girl with the Red Hat, which has long been disputed to be a true Vermeer painting, was in fact made by the artist at a "turning point" in his career.

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The exhibit, which runs through January 8, will also include two other Vermeer paintings - Woman Holding a Balance and A Lady Writing -- as well as two 20th-century forgeries.

F FOR FAKE (1973) ORSON WELLES