Gasbarri, Giovanni Early Christian and Byzantine fakes at the turn of the twentienth century: a note on Giancarlo Rossi's Tesoro Sacro

Title Early Christian and Byzantine fakes at the turn of the twentienth century: a note on Giancarlo Rossi's Tesoro Sacro
Author email giogasbarri@gmail.com
About author Gasbarri, Giovanni. “La Sapienza” University, Rome, Ph.D. candidate
In the section Eastern Christian Art
Year 2012 Volume 2 Pages 149–155
Type of article RAR Index UDK 7.061 Index BBK 85.03
Abstract

Among the most interesting examples of falsification of Early Christian and Byzantine art, the so-called ‘Tesoro Rossi’ or Rossi Treasury, from the name of the owner, the Italian Cavalier Giancarlo Rossi, deserves a very special attention. This episode is almost forgotten by the modern literature, since the fakes seem no longer traceable. However, at the end of the 19th century, the story of the Tesoro Rossi became a very high profi le international case, which involved a high-pitched scholarly debate. This contribution aims to provide a critical analysis of this strange occurrence, trying to better defi ne its profile within the evolution of the historical approach towards early Christian and Byzantine art.
 
Keywords
Reference Gasbarri, Giovanni. Early Christian and Byzantine fakes at the turn of the twentienth century: a note on Giancarlo Rossi's Tesoro Sacro. Actual Problems of Theory and History of Art: Collection of articles. Vol. 2. Eds: Anna V. Zakharova. St. Petersburg, NP-Print Publ., 2012, pp. 149–155. ISSN 2312-2129.
Publication Article language english
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