Professors S. Amarnick, C. Pierre, & M. Williams

Does it matter if an object is authentic—that is, original, genuine, and made by the artist or artisan associated with it? Why do people travel thousands of miles to see the real Mona Lisa if they can see a replica of it in a gift shop or online? If a fake artwork looks exactly like the real thing, should it matter to the viewer or owner of the artwork that it is a fake? Does this also apply to other commodities, such as sneakers or handbags? This learning community links ENG 12 (5P, 15976) with ART 34 (3P, 16595) and SD10 (9P, 18085), and in it,  you will explore the issues of authenticity, especially with regard to the fine arts (mainly painting and sculpture). Truth and lies, honesty and deception: art history is full of these, but can an object be appreciated if it is a falsification? We will develop discussions around these and other questions in this link.