Seoul: French art experts yesterday lambasted South Korean state prosecutors for declaring a "fake" painting to be genuine despite its own scientific findings that supported the artist's disavowal of the work.
The painting "Beautiful Woman" by one of South Korea's most renowned artists, Chun Kyung-Ja, has been the focus of a bizarre and decades-long dispute over its authenticity.
Before her death last year at the age of 91, Chun had repeatedly insisted that the 1971 portrait owned by the country's National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) was not one of hers.
"Parents can recognise their children. That is not my painting," she insisted.
The museum is adamant that it is genuine, and in April a prosecutorial investigation was launched after one of Chun's daughters filed a complaint. She accused former and current MMCA officials of hurting the artist's reputation by promoting the painting as authentic.
State prosecutors last week found in favour of the museum, citing forensic evidence and the opinion of local art experts. They also clarified the provenance of the painting, saying it was once owned by the former head of the South Korean spy agency.
