AI Technology Confirms Suspected Fake Raphael Painting as Genuine Artwork

Applying AI Facial Recognition Technology to Analyze 'De Bresci Tondo' Artwork
Suspected Replica for Over 40 Years... "Matches Other Works by Raphael"

Sanzio Raphael's work 'Saint Michel the Archangel' (Photo by French National Museum Federation)

The early 16th-century Renaissance masterpiece "de Br?cy Tondo" by Raphael Sanzio, which had been suspected as a forgery for over 40 years, has been confirmed as authentic through artificial intelligence (AI) analysis.

On the 25th (local time), according to BBC and The Times, researchers from the University of Nottingham and the University of Bradford recently applied AI facial recognition technology to analyze the artwork. The results showed that the faces of Mary and Jesus in the painting closely matched those depicted in Raphael's other work, "Sistine Madonna."

This painting, which depicts the Virgin Mary holding the infant Jesus, is part of the collection of British businessman George Lester Winward. Two years before his death in 1995, Winward established a trust to manage his art collection and allow scholars to study the works.

In the art world, the piece had long been thought to be a replica from the Victorian era in the 19th century, imitating Raphael's original masterpiece "Sistine Madonna," completed in 1512, due to the very similar painting style.

"Sistine Madonna" was commissioned by Pope Julius II, who was pope at the time, to honor his uncle and predecessor, Pope Sixtus IV, who served four popes earlier. The painting features Sixtus IV and Saint Barbara alongside the Madonna and Child. It is currently housed in the Dresden Art Gallery in Germany.

However, the view that "de Br?cy Tondo" might also have been painted directly by Raphael persisted, sparking a debate over its authenticity for about 40 years. This AI analysis has finally put an end to the controversy.

Professor Hassan Ugail, director of the Visual Computing Centre at the University of Bradford, said, "After examining the artwork with new AI technology, we reached a remarkable certainty that 'de Br?cy Tondo' is almost certainly by Raphael." He added, "By combining previous facial recognition experiments and prior research by fellow scholars, we concluded that both paintings are works by the same artist."

Meanwhile, "de Br?cy Tondo" was publicly exhibited for the first time at the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery in Bradford, UK, on the same day and will be on display for the next two months.