Join us for a thought-provoking and insightful session by Georgina Bexon in The Arts Society at Firstsite (TASAF) Lecture series!

The Arts Society at Firstsite is an organisation about connecting people who have a passion for art.

TASAF is part of a global network of local societies, which bring people together through shared curiosity for the arts. You can learn more about it here. 

We offer a series of 10 talks* from accredited lecturers based around the UK. Lectures take place throughout the year from September to June on the third Tuesday of each month. 

Find out more about TASAF here.

Session Program 

Fakes and Forgeries – Paintings that Fooled the World (Lecture by Georgina Bexon)

How do you tell a fake from the real thing? With great difficulty! Hear the fascinating stories from behind the scenes of the great art museums of the world and examine both real and fake art works.

This talk delves into the complex histories and consummate skills of some of the infamous forgers of the art world who have cleverly and successfully fooled the experts.

Despite cutting-edge technology and the expertise of illustrious art historians and connoisseurs, fake art works continue to circulate on the market and even, occasionally, to make their way into museum collections.

The recent troubling case of the $450 million Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece ‘Salvator Mundi’ is a case in point – dividing the experts on critical issues of authentication and restoration, revealing an art world that is ever in fear of the ‘perfect’ forgery.

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About the Lecturer  

Georgina Bexon is an art historian and consultant specialising in international art and architecture.  She has lived and worked in Europe, the USA and Singapore and has three degrees in art history from Southampton and London Universities. 

Georgina travels widely for research and speaking engagements at European universities, international art institutions (including the Museum of Modern Art Moscow and Christie’s Education New York) and art conferences, most recently in New York, Paris and Lisbon. 

She is also in demand as a guest speaker on luxury cruise ships.  

Georgina is an official guide at the Tate, an accredited speaker for the Arts Society, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal Asiatic Society and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Art Scholars. 

Visit the Firstsite Café before or after TASAF Lecture Series session! 

Our cafés offer a wide selection of delicious snacks, cakes and light meals, along with hot and cold drinks which can be purchased to enjoy.

Find out more about our menus here 

*This price is the set fee paid by all members irrespective of the date they join the society.