Prosecutors conclude 'Beautiful Woman' is authentic

SEOUL, Dec. 19 (Yonhap) -- State prosecutors said Monday that "Beautiful Woman" by Chun Kyung-ja, which had been at the center of an intense forgery debate, is actually an authentic work by the late artist, even though she persistently denied the painting as her own.

The Supreme Prosecutors' Office said in a statement that it drew the conclusion after thoroughly studying the painting in question and comparing it with other confirmed works by the painter.

Reaching the conclusion, prosecutors said they dismissed the charges of infringement of copyright laws and defamation brought by the family of Chun against several officials at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), including Director Bartomeu Mari Ribas, who owns the work.

The prosecutors said they applied state-of-the-art techniques including infrared light to assess the authenticity of the painting. Chun's unique characteristics, seen in her other works, were consistently found in the painting, such as using strong, deep colors, applying thick strokes and leaving sharp traces of outlines and basic sketches, it said.

The latest announcement came a month after French art experts group Lumiere Technology concluded that the painting is fake.

Since Chun died in August last year, the question on whether the painting is fake has intensified. While still alive, the artist herself claimed that the work in question wasn't hers, saying that a parent can recognize one's own child.

jaeyeon.woo@yna.co.kr
(END)