La Famiglia Gottfried Matthaes

1914

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The Matthaes - Kurau family in the garden of the Dresden school in 1914

The family of the founder of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza, Gottfried Matthaes, came from the art city of Dresden, which around 1900 became a hub of modern European painting. It is here that in 1906 the founder’s aunt Gertrude Matthaes and her husband Walter Kurau founded a renowned school of painting, based first in Dresden and then, from 1927, in Berlin. In this city, in 1930, they were commissioned to decorate the great walls of the famous "Pergamon Museum".

1906-1916

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It was during this period that the school put together a teaching collection of Graeco-Roman and Etruscan art, part of which on exhibit at the Museo d'Arte e Scienza in Milan and declared by decree of 5.5.1997 of the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Environment a "Collection of exceptional historical and cultural interest".

1949

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Gottfried Matthaes invents the first printed circuit (CHIP)

In 1932 the school was closed and a part of the collections was inherited by their nephew Gottfried. As a physicist, the marriage of physics, science and art was a constant in his life. In 1949 he invented the first printed circuit (CHIP) for Siemens Germany, and shortly after, together with an Italian partner – Egidio Cozzi – set up his own factory in Milan to produce them in series.

1990

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Palazzo Bonacossa, headquarters of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza

It was in 1990, however, that Gottfried Matthaes left his industrial activities to concentrate on a theme he felt to be of prime importance: the determination of authenticity in art. In effect he had already been carrying out research for years to develop a dating method that was more reliable than the existing ones and which would enable him to scientifically date the over one thousand wooden objects in his collection. That same year he acquired two floors of Palazzo Bonacossa in Milan and set up the "Didactic Museum for the Recognition of Fake Antiques".

"Arte Autentica" Scientific Laboratory

The Museo d'Arte e Scienza houses the "Arte Autentica" scientific laboratory, specializing in spectroscopic dating, directed since 1988 by Dr. Chem. Peter Matthaes.

Further info at: www.arteautentica.it

2001

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African Art Section

2001 saw the inauguration of the section dedicated to African Art. Over the years the Museum has expanded its displays, adding to its sections on authenticity various art exhibitions of excellence on Non-European Art: in particular, the permanent exhibition on Buddhist Art, considered today one of the finest in Italy, of artefacts from Thailand and Burma, and the section dedicated to African Art, comprising over 300 items of great art historical value from various ethnic groups of Black Africa.

In the same year the Museum changed its name twice, from "Art Collector’s Museum" to the current "Museo d'Arte e Scienza", keeping intact, however, its initial spirit of service to art.

Permanent Exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci

Permanent Exhibition on Buddhist Art

2010

The Museum

In 1990 G. M. acquired exhibition space in the Palazzo Bonacossa in Piazza Castello in Milan to open up a museum called the “Didactic Museum for the Ascertainment of Authenticity in Antiques” which, in the course of time, changed its name to “The Art Collector’s Museum” and finally to “Museo d’Arte e Scienza”, remaining, up to now, the only museum in the world dedicating itself to this important subject, i.e. authenticity in art.
Over the years the museum has expanded to accommodate a permanent exhibition on Leonardo da Vinci and two art exhibitions of excellence on Non-European Art. In particular, the permanent exhibition on Buddhist Art, considered today one of the finest in Italy, for the provenance of its artefacts from Thailand and Burma, and the section dedicated to African Art, comprising over 300 items of great art historical value from various ethnic groups of Black Africa.

Palazzo Bonacossa

A scientific laboratory at the service of art

The Museum laboratory’s mission is to improve existing scientific methods and develop new methods for the ascertainment of authenticity.The laboratory’s instruments and know-how for determining authenticity are at the disposal of collectors, art experts, restorers and museums.(The laboratory staff, who speak the main European languages, are available for any explanations that may be required).

A collection of art objects is generally an assortment of authentic items, copies and fakes. Given that today, more than ever before, buying art is considered also an investment for the future, the determination of authenticity by state-of-the-art scientific methods can offer every collection a guarantee for the future and contribute to bringing transparency to the market.

Our laboratory’s flagship services:

• Spectroscopic dating and characterization of wood
• Investigation of old paintings
• Dating and characterization of ivory
• Analyses of antique bronzes and excavated pottery

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE APPLY TO:

Dr. Chem. Peter Matthaes (Laboratory director)
tel. +39 02 72022488
mail: info@museoartescienza.com

Additionally, in the museum rooms there are numerous interactive test stations at the disposal of visitors with simple tests for ascertaining the authenticity of antiques.

Test station room 7: identification of glues and other synthetic materials with Wood’s light

Test station room 9: determining the authenticity of icons with Wood’s light

The microscope: distinguishes authentic patinas and encrustations from faked ones

The dull sound of a porcelain item reveals hidden restoration work

The founders of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza

Gottfried Matthaes
Founder

Giovanna Cozzi Matthaes
Co-founder

Staff

Dr. Chem. Peter Matthaes

Executive Director of the Museum
Laboratory Director
Court expert
pr@museoartescienza.com

Patrizia Matthaes

President of the Amici del Museo d'Arte e Scienza Association
Management and Administrative Supervisor of the Museum
patrizia@matthaes.org
info@amicimuseoartescienza.org

Dr. Martin Matthaes

Director of the German headquarters of the Museum’s Laboratory
mm@museoartescienza.com

Dott.ssa Chiara Civardi

First Laboratory Assistant
chiara@spectroscopyforart.com

Dott.ssa Marta Cugnasca

External Relations Manager
Coordinator of the Amici del Museo d'Arte e Scienza Association
marta@amicimuseoartescienza.org
info@museoartescienza.com

Publications

Books written by G. Matthaes in the last thirty years

1994 - 2001 THE ART COLLECTOR’S ILLUSTRATED HANDBOOK

Three volumes published in Italian, English and German with 2,000 photos and 530 pages.

2003 APPRECIATING ART THROUGH THE EYES OF LEONARDO

An abridged edition of the famous “Treatise on Painting” by Leonardo da Vinci. 157 pages with numerous colour photos. In Italian and English.

2010 EAST ASIAN BUDDHIST ART

A new publication!
To mark the twentieth anniversary of the foundation of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza, owner G.Matthaes published the catalogue of the Buddhist Art collection. More than 200 illustrations of artworks from the entire Orient in a bilingual edition (Italian-English) for everyone, enthusiasts and collectors alike.

2009 BEAUTY AND AUTHENTICITY IN AFRICAN ART

Over two hundred large colour plates of precious items belonging to the historic Matthaes collection, partly conserved and exhibited in four rooms of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza in Milan. The second unique part of this book is dedicated to recognizing authenticity in African art.
380 pages in 4 languages (Italian, English, German and French)

Plus numerous articles in many magazines around the world, publishing detailed reviews regarding scientific methods and the Museum.

Historic publications

Two small limited edition books in German on the theme “The responsibility of man in times of uncertain religious guidance”.

1972 Die Philosophie des Interregnums

1973 Die Philosophie der Verantwortung

1978 Pre-Roman Pottery

Other websites of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza

www.museoarteascienza.com
The Museo d'Arte e Scienza and its sections: 6 rooms dedicated to the ascertainment of authenticity in art and antiques, 5 rooms to the two permanent exhibitions on Leonardo da Vinci (Leonardo’s activities in Milan and his illustrated Treatise on Painting), 5 rooms dedicated to African Art and Buddhist Art, 2 scientific laboratories for the determination of authenticity.

www.LeonardoDaVinciMilano.com
Two permanent exhibitions: "Leonardo Citizen of Milan" and "Appreciating Art through the Eyes of Leonardo" from his "Treatise on Painting".

www.AuthenticAfricanBronzesandCeramics.com
On the authenticity of African artworks in bronze, stone and pottery. The scientific laboratory of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza has developed valid methods for telling authentic African artefacts from copies and fakes.

www.ArtAndScienceHandbook.com
The most complete and scientific guide to ascertaining the authenticity of European and Non-European artefacts on an objective basis. 540 pages and over 2,000 colour illustrations in 3 volumes and 3 languages.

www.SpectroscopyForArt.com
A scientific method for the dating of wood and identification of the wood type used for art objects. Determination of their authenticity through analysis of paints, binders, pigments and other organic substances.  

www.MobiliAntichiAutenticita.com
A list of all the possible methods for determining the authenticity of furniture on the basis of objective factors.

www.PaintingsAuthenticity.com
Information on the determination of authenticity of modern and old paintings.

www.excavatedartauthenticity.com
A list of all the possible ways of determining the authenticity of excavated pottery, glass and bronze items from Southern Italy, the Mediterranean Basin, China and South America on the basis of objective factors.

www.AfricanArtAuthenticity.com
“Life and Art in Black Africa”, the Museum’s didactic section on African Art (5 rooms and over 350 artefacts).

www.Copiesandfakesinart.com
The ascertainment of authenticity in art, dealt with in depth with reference to the single fields of antiques.

www.Ivoryauthenticityandage.com
Ivory, horn and bone can be accurately identified and spectroscopically dated.

www.AmiciMuseoArteScienza.org
Cultural association of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza, promoter of cultural events and opportunities.

www.arteautentica.it
The Museum's scientific laboratory concerns itself with the investigation of authenticity in art and antiques and offers its services to individuals, collectors, art experts, restorers and museums.