Forgeries are a feature of almost every period of art history. After a brief examination of the earliest documented Etruscan forgeries, created by Annio da Viterbo in the late 15th century, the lecture focuses on forgeries of Etruscan art made by Italian artists in the late 19th and early 20th century. Two groups are examined: terracotta sarcophagi and large-scale terracotta statues. In the process of revealing their histories, the lecture examines the reasons why Etruscan art is especially attractive to forgers and demonstrates ongoing methods to determine authenticity.
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