The Limits of Connoisseurship. Attribution Issues & Mistakes. An Introduction

Recent publications and conferences dedicated to connoisseurship have unanimously recognized the need to situate this practice within the context of its sociocultural conditions. One ought to view the connoisseur’s attribution as the final affirmation of a long and manifold procedure. This approach requires not only an investigation of the practical knowledge that informs the act of attribution but also a consideration of the network in which the judgment takes place, as well as its artistic, political and conceptual stakes. With this perspective in mind, the issue focuses its attention on a central yet often forgotten aspect of artistic expertise: mistaken attributions. Examination of these inaccurate assessments allows for a better understanding of the cultural and intellectual contexts in which they occurred and reveals the multiple discrepancies between connoisseurial theory and its practical application. By analyzing a few case studies situated at the limits of connoisseurship – whether they be prints, sculptures or paintings – the various articles question the operations that guide the (re)attribution of artworks and the theoretical or practical tensions generated by this process.

Éditrice invitée numéro thématique du Journal of Art Historiography.