Attribution (art)

A work of architecture , the visual arts or applied arts will be an artist attributed if this identification is not on a signature (such. As written sources), or on other absolutely clear evidence, but on the basis of historical or technical evidence, above all, however, it is very likely to be concluded by arguments critical of style. In this sense, the term attribution can also be used for anonymous compositions in musicology or literary texts.

If you can only find out in this way that a group of works were created by the same artist, but you don't know his name, emergency names are often given.

Attributions are a classic subject of scientific discourse in the subjects of art history and archeology , they can be controversial and the subject of decades of debate. Attributions also play a significant role in the art and antiques trade , as works of art by a famous artist fetch higher prices than pieces of the same quality but not associated with a well-known name.

If a previous write-up is rejected with the help of new knowledge or arguments, one also speaks of a write-off.