Description
HANDWRITING EXPERTISE IN WORKS OF ART
Book Summary
This work offers a specialized guide on the application of handwriting expertise to the field of visual arts. The author, Mireia Hernández Esteban, explores how the analysis of handwriting and signatures becomes a key tool for the authentication, dating, and detection of forgeries in works of art. The reader will discover the technical and methodological foundations that allow experts to distinguish an original signature from a fraudulent imitation, combining knowledge of graphistics, art history, and law.
What is it about?
The work addresses the intersection between graphistics and the art market, focusing on the identification of adulterations and forgeries. Through a practical and documented approach, real cases are analyzed where the artist's handwriting, present in signatures, annotations, or dedications, becomes expert evidence. The book breaks down the visual, instrumental, and comparative examination techniques used by handwriting experts to verify the authenticity of a piece. Likewise, it examines the legal framework surrounding art forgery and the evidentiary value of expert reports in judicial proceedings. The author connects the tradition of handwriting expertise with contemporary challenges, offering a complete vision of this discipline applied to the protection of cultural heritage.
Main Topics
- Fundamentals of handwriting expertise applied to works of art.
- Methodologies for analyzing signatures and handwritten text in painting, sculpture, and graphic works.
- Detection of forgeries and adulterations using graphological and graphotechnical techniques.
- The role of the handwriting expert in the art market and in judicial proceedings.
- Relationship between documentary authenticity and artistic authorship.
Who is it recommended for?
It is aimed at legal professionals, handwriting experts, art historians, museum curators, gallerists, appraisers, and collectors. It is also of interest to students of criminology, fine arts, and forensic science who seek to specialize in the authentication of works. Any reader curious about the mechanisms that guarantee authenticity in art will find this work to be a rigorous and accessible reference.
What this book provides
- Provides a clear methodology for conducting handwriting expert analyses in the artistic context.
- Helps identify the most common signs of forgery in signatures and annotations.
- Offers an updated legal perspective on the evaluation of handwriting expert evidence.
- Connects graphistic theory with practical cases from the art world.
- Serves as a reference tool to prevent fraud in the sale and appraisal of works.
Technical Data
- Author: Hernández Esteban, Mireia
- Publisher: J.M.Bosch
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Adulteration, forgery, and theft of works
- Collection: Law
- Publication date: October 2025
- Number of pages: 178
- Weight: 300 g
Editorial Review
A specialized work that covers an underexplored niche within legal and artistic literature. The author combines technical rigor with a didactic presentation, making it a useful reference for both legal professionals and art experts. Its practical approach and currency make it especially relevant in a context where the authentication of works is increasingly in demand.