Exploring transparent approaches to the authentication of signatures on artwork

579 Pages·2015·18.56 MB·English

Unicentre
CH-1015 Lausanne
http://serval.unil.ch

Year : 2015

Exploring transparent approaches to the authentication of
signatures on artwork

Montani Isabelle

Montani Isabelle, 2015, Exploring transparent approaches to the authentication of
signatures on artwork

Originally published at : Thesis, University of Lausanne
Posted at the University of Lausanne Open Archive http://serval.unil.ch
Document URN : urn:nbn:ch:serval-BIB_98A4B71138387

Droits d’auteur
L'Université de Lausanne attire expressément l'attention des utilisateurs sur le fait que tous les
documents publiés dans l'Archive SERVAL sont protégés par le droit d'auteur, conformément à la
loi fédérale sur le droit d'auteur et les droits voisins (LDA). A ce titre, il est indispensable d'obtenir
le consentement préalable de l'auteur et/ou de l’éditeur avant toute utilisation d'une oeuvre ou
d'une partie d'une oeuvre ne relevant pas d'une utilisation à des fins personnelles au sens de la
LDA (art. 19, al. 1 lettre a). A défaut, tout contrevenant s'expose aux sanctions prévues par cette
loi. Nous déclinons toute responsabilité en la matière.

Copyright
The University of Lausanne expressly draws the attention of users to the fact that all documents
published in the SERVAL Archive are protected by copyright in accordance with federal law on
copyright and similar rights (LDA). Accordingly it is indispensable to obtain prior consent from the
author and/or publisher before any use of a work or part of a work for purposes other than
personal use within the meaning of LDA (art. 19, para. 1 letter a). Failure to do so will expose
offenders to the sanctions laid down by this law. We accept no liability in this respect.
Exploring transparent approaches to the
authentication of signatures on artwork

School of Criminal Justice
Faculty of Law, Criminal Justice and Public Administration
University of Lausanne
Exploring transparent approaches to the
authentication of signatures on artwork
Doctoral thesis
presented to the School of Criminal Justice of the University of Lausanne
by
Isabelle Montani
MSc in Forensic Science
Lausanne, 2015
ISBN 2-940098-68-9
Série Criminalistique NO LXIV
Acknowledgements
This thesis was carried out at the École des sciences criminelles de l'Université de
Lausanne under the supervision of Professor Christophe Champod, Ph.D. I
would like to express my deepest gratitude to Professor Champod for his
continuous encouragement, trust, enthusiasm and availability for our many
enriching discussions. This thesis would not have been possible without his
invaluable contribution.
My sincerest appreciation is extended to the members of the dissertation
committee: Professor Pierre Margot, Ph.D. (President of the committee) of the
École des sciences criminelles de l'Université de Lausanne, for having passed on
his passion for document examination and signature examination in particular.
Professor Franco Taroni, Ph.D. (Internal expert) of the École des sciences
criminelles de l'Université de Lausanne for his willingness to discuss the
probabilistic assessment of evidence and for the rich literature that he published
on the subject, which was a great source of inspiration for this research. I am
equally grateful to Mrs. Yana Gerber, forensic document examiner from Tel
Aviv, Israel and Professor Bryan Found, Ph.D., Chief Forensic Scientist of the
Victoria Police Forensic Services Centre and Adjunct Professor of the Faculty of
Law at the University of New South Wales, who both kindly accepted to act as
external members of the dissertation committee and who provided me with
remarks and questions that were a real added value to this research project.
The research could not have been carried out without the help of a number of
individuals and institutions. More specifically, I am indebted to:
- The artists, Jean-Claude Schauenberger, Peter Bacsay, Virginia Muro,
Augustin Pasquier and Jean-Marc Schwaller, for their willingness and
enthusiasm to participate in this study.
- The conservators-restorers of the Conservation-Restoration Section of the
Bern University of Arts, in particular Karolina Soppa and Professor
Sebastian Dobrusskin, Ph.D. for their vivid interest in the subject and for
welcoming me within their institution for the sampling of the
simulations. I also wish to thank the artists and forensic handwriting
examiners who produced simulations for the study.
- Raymond Marquis, Ph.D. of the École des sciences criminelles for his
constant feedback and encouragement, as well as for our vivid discussions
on the subject of handwriting and signature examination. The fruit of
these discussions can be found on many pages of this thesis.
- Alexandre Thiéry, Ph.D. for the development of the SoDe Software and
his precious advice on statistical analysis.
- Members of the Document Examination Group of the École des sciences
criminelles, specifically Daniel Correvon and Williams Mazzella, Ph.D.
- The other members of the committee of the association Think Forensic,
Marie-Sylvie Martin and Durdica Hazard, for their amiable support.
- All current and former teaching assistants, lecturers, scientific
collaborators and professors of the École des sciences criminelles. I am
very fortunate to have been surrounded by such wonderful colleagues and
friends.

Finally, I wish to thank my family – my parents, sisters and brother – for their
invaluable support and encouragement on what has become a very enriching
endeavor.
to my parents,

Glossary

ACE-V Analysis, Comparison, Evaluation - Verification
ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials
GC/MS Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
CICP Complex Inorganic Color Pigments
CO Code des Obligations
FDE Forensic Document Examiner
FHE Forensic Handwriting Examiner
FTIR Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
ICAI International Center for Art Intelligence
ICOM International Council of Museums
International Foundation of Art Research
IFAR
LC/MS Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
LD/MS Laser Desorption Mass Spectrometer
LR Likelihood ratio
PT Proficiency Testing
Pyrolysis-GC/MS Pyrolysis - Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry
SEM Scanning Electron Microscopy
UV Ultraviolet
XRD X-Ray Diffraction
XRF X-Ray Fluorescence