The Artistic and Aesthetic Status of Forgeries

In the philosophy of art the following question is posed: Can there be any aesthetic value difference between an original painting and a forgery if they cannot be told apart, and, if so, what does it consist in? The author critically examines three currently held views in response to this question, including those of Nelson Goodman. He then turns his attention to both the aesthetic value and the artistic art-historical value of a painting, both of which may differ markedly. He concludes that if one considers these two characteristics one has a significant basis for resolving the puzzles concerning the aesthetic status of fakes and forgeries.