RaFiTech may emerge as a game-changer in detecting fake art with molecular proof

Consider this. For the first time, Chitrakoot, a famed art gallery in Kolkata, recently brought together a historic exhibition of Durga in Art showcasing masterpieces from Early Bengal, Kalighat traditions, and the timeless works of Jamini Roy, Nandalal Bose, and Ganesh Pyne.

- RITWIK MUKHERJEE

This was not just another show, but a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the beauty and power of Bengal's greatest artists' works that are almost never accessible to the public.

Every painting in this exhibition carried the guarantee of authenticity through science. At Rafitech Lab, scientists use Raman spectroscopyan ultra-modern, non-invasive method that reads the pigments at a molecular level. This technique allows them to identify whether the pigments belong to the artist's original palette, many of which are rare, costly, or long-abandoned, making them impossible for fakers to replicate.

By uniting art and science, this exhibition ensured that what you see is not just visually stunning, but proven genuine.

This assumes great significance in the wake of the fact that for centuries, the art world has struggled with a stubborn problem: there is still no reliable, universally accepted method to confirm whether a painting is truly what it claims to be. The fake art business is a significant and flourishing problem in India, operating as a multi-crore fraudulent industry that has expanded alongside the booming art market. This illicit trade involves creating and selling counterfeit artworks of renowned Indian artists, often with forged authenticity certificates and provenance documents.