Revealing the Deception – On Imitations and Forgeries
Course Description:
Within the collection of the National Gallery of Iceland are a number of forged artworks that have found their way into the museum through various channels. In recent months, the museum’s staff has undertaken in-depth investigations into these pieces, uncovering a wealth of intriguing insights.
Offered in connection with the exhibition The Mystery of the Lumpfish and Other Stories of Fakes and Forgeries, this course aims to deepen public understanding of art forgery.
Through a combination of historical context and real-world case studies from the museum’s own collection, participants will gain unique insight into how forgeries are identified and understood. Led by the museum’s experts, this course provides an engaging and eye-opening journey into the world of fakes, imitations, and the stories they carry.
What You’ll Gain:
- Skills to assess the authenticity and provenance of artworks
- A deeper understanding of the major Icelandic art forgery case
- Insight into the artists most affected by forgery and the impact on their legacy
- Awareness of how museums and institutions respond to discovering forged works
- An introduction to the scientific and technical methods used in artwork investigations
Instructors: Dagný Heiðdal, Nathalie Jacqueminet, Ólafur Ingi Jónsson, Sigurður Gunnarsson, and Steinunn Harðardóttir.
This course is ideal for anyone with an interest in history or visual art, as well as those who are simply curious and eager to learn more, understand more deeply, and enjoy art from a new perspective.
No prior background in art is required — this course is held in Icelandic.
Where:
Listasafn Íslands, Fríkirkjuvegur 7
101, Reykjavík
When:
Course I
Monday April, 28th 5–7pm
Monday May, 5th 5–7pm
Monday May, 12th 5–7pm
Registration here
Course II
Wednesday April, 30th 7:45–9:30pm
Miðvikudagur May, 7th 7:45–9:30pm
Miðvikudagur May, 14th 7:45–9:30pm
Registration here
Course Fee: ISK 53,000
Limited availability – early registration is recommended.
Participants are encouraged to check with their professional unions regarding possible funding or grants for the course. The museum will gladly provide all necessary documentation and receipts for reimbursement.
For further information:
www.listasafn.is | info@listasafn.is
Dagný Heiðdal is the Registrar at the National Gallery of Iceland and has worked at the museum since 2002. She holds a degree in history education from the University of Iceland and an M.A. in Art History from Lund University.
Among the exhibitions she has contributed to at the museum are Resistance, A Nation’s Treasure, Threads of Art, and a retrospective of works by Valtýr Pétursson. She has written numerous articles on visual art and has served as editor for several publications issued by the National Gallery of Iceland.
Nathalie Jacqueminet is a conservator, museum specialist, and art historian, currently serving as Head of Collections at the National Gallery of Iceland. She has worked in the field of cultural heritage preservation since 2000, primarily at the National Museum of Iceland and the National Gallery of Iceland.
Nathalie has participated in research projects focused on art forgery in Iceland and served as Chair of the Organizing Committee for the international conference on forgeries held in Reykjavík in 2003.
Ólafur Ingi Jónsson is an experienced conservator with extensive expertise in the field. He has worked in art conservation since 1986, after completing his training in Florence, Italy. Over the years, he has held positions at institutions such as the National Museum of Iceland, the Coservation Studio Morkinskinna, and most recently at the National Gallery of Iceland, where he worked from 2006 to 2024.
For decades, Ólafur Ingi has conducted research on art forgeries. He was the lead complainant in the major art forgery case that will be explored in depth during the course.
Sigurður Gunnarsson is the technical manager and photographer at the National Gallery of Iceland and has been with the museum since 2014. He is a trained photographer, having studied at both the Technical College of Iceland and the Reykjavík School of Photography, and he also holds an M.A. in Applied Cultural Studies.
Sigurður has photographed artworks from the museum’s collection for numerous publications, both in Iceland and internationally.
Steinunn Harðardóttir is a conservator at the National Gallery of Iceland and has been part of the museum’s team since 2018. She holds an M.Sc. in Painting Conservation from the University of Amsterdam.