New 3D technology can detect forged artwork

By Stephen Beech

Forged paintings can be identified using a new noninvasive technique.

The new method offers museums, collectors and auction houses a major advantage in tackling soaring art fraud, French scientists say.

Art fraud and forgery are among the world's highest-grossing illegal trades.

Experts say the urgency for better authentication tools has never been clearer after AI technology recently identified up to 40 counterfeit artworks, including pieces labeled as Monet and Renoir, being sold on major online marketplaces.

Using a range of different methods leads to more reliable conclusions, helping to detect fraud and protect cultural heritage.

The new technique was able to tell real Van Gogh paintings from fakes in testing.

Described in the journal Surface Topography: Metrology and Properties, it was developed by researchers at the University Polytechnic Hauts-De-France in Valenciennes.

The method analyzes the microscopic "texture" of a painting by converting high-resolution images into 3D‑like maps, allowing researchers to measure how rough or detailed the surface is using fractal dimensions.

Lead researcher Francois Berkmans said: "This measurement captures subtle patterns created by an artist's brushwork – patterns so consistent that they act like a morphological signature unique to that artist."

Using works attributed to Vincent van Gogh, the researchers showed that the method can reliably distinguish between authentic paintings and known forgeries.

In tests, a well‑documented fake The Plowmen was identified as a strong outlier, while the recently authenticated Sunset at Montmajour aligned closely with Van Gogh's known works.

The approach also successfully separated the stylistic signatures of Van Gogh and 17th-century painter David Klöcker Ehrenstrahl, showing its wider potential.

Berkmans said: "Art forgery is a growing problem, and traditional authentication relies on a combination of expert opinion, historical research, pigment analysis and digital techniques.

"These approaches are powerful but also resource‑intensive and sometimes inconclusive.

"This technology can strengthen authentication, especially when combined with complementary analyses such as the chemical examination of materials, while reducing financial risk and helping to safeguard cultural heritage."

He added: "Fractal analysis gives us a measurable fingerprint of an artist's brushwork without needing to sample or disturb the painting.

"This approach won't replace traditional expertise, but it significantly strengthens it.

"Our results show that our technique can clearly point out genuine artists and reliably detect known forgeries."

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This story was originally published June 11, 2026 at 2:07 PM.