This web site by its very nature requires the use of graphics to display painting images, forensic findings and data presentation. Some of the text is displayed over graphic for the sake of better explanation. Since contrast is required to make the text readable, if your browser has the image option turned off, the text may be invisible on the default page colour. Below is a summary of the introduction page at veritus.org.
    Veritus Ltd., the world leader in digital verification, is now publishing electronically the results of many years of research into Old Master paintings. The information published at this site is an abbreviated form of the information that will be published in several forthcoming Catalogue Raisonnés and reference works. The complete Catalogue Raisonnés and reference works will be available in both traditional print media as well as in the new DVD format. The Catalogue Raisonnés will include more extensive findings, provenance and analysis than are available at this site.
    Veritus employs modern digital technologies to verify the authorship of oil paintings from the sixteenth through the nineteenth centuries. It has been clear to art historians and scholars of this generation that questionable Old Master art attributions have reached scandalous proportions. The main reason for this deluge of inaccurate attributions is that attributions were based on the subjective opinions of self-appointed experts rather than on technical findings and facts. The methodology used by many of these self-appointed experts to determine attributions was in essence the same methodology used for gambling in roulette. The key difference being the expert places his bet and it is the buyer who takes the chance.
    With the purpose of providing accurate attribution resource material, Veritus is sponsoring several artist research committees. These committees utilise the latest in digital verification technologies to determine accurate  attributions for artists long dead and to eliminate human error, deception and bias in determining authorship.
    The first committee formed by Veritus was the Caravaggio Research Committee. The results of the committee research provided some surprises. Only sixty percent of the paintings previously published by various experts as the works of Michelangelo da Caravaggio were confirmed as being of his hand. Most of the other forty percent were confirmed to be the works of other artists who merely painted in the style of Caravaggio. An online version of the Catalogue Raisonné may be viewed at this web site in the artist section.
    However, attribution problems with the Italian artists did not reach the scandalous levels of the misattributions that occurred with Northern European artists. The actual authorship of paintings by the most important of the Northern European artists were lost in a veritable blizzard of false and dubious attributions. The Veritus sponsored Rembrandt Research Committee has already posted its findings. Only a small percentage of the paintings traditionally attributed to the hand of Rembrandt van Rijn are actually by his hand. The vast majority of paintings previously attributed to Rembrandt are either studio collaborations or student paintings. An online version of the Catalogue Raisonné may be viewed at this web site in the artist section.
    Research Committees were also formed for the artists Rubens, Goya, Van Dyck, El Greco and Raphael. These artists were chosen as it is readily acknowledged that serious attribution problems exist with these artists. Preliminary data for these artists may be found in the artist section of this web site. Many of the paintings traditionally attributed to these artists are works from students, studios and followers. This underscores the problem of using subjective and often wildly optimistic opinions to establish values of multimillion dollar purchases.
    The directors of Veritus are confident that the use of forensic evidence and twenty-first century technologies will become the 'de facto standard' for all Old Master attributions. Reliable and repeatable attributions based upon modern technology eliminate human errors and bias, which account for the largest source of verification problems. Veritus attributions are based upon fact, not upon dubious circumstantial evidence, subjective opinion or certain mystical feelings. No other method of verification can provide the level of  security or confidence for the collector, the scholar or museum curators. Digital verifications are clearly the standard of the future. It is no longer  necessary to fall prey to the whims of a self-appointed or self-interested expert.
    Until recently, fine art attribution was the only multimillion-dollar business in the world that did not depend upon digital technology to provide verification of property. Veritus digital attributions are already in use for cases of insurance fraud. Insurance companies no longer have to face risks of fraud involving multimillion-dollar policies on paintings worth only a few thousand dollars. Veritus certificates are being requested as forensic evidence in legal cases involving fraudulent misattribution. Several banks have made a digital verification certificate a necessity prior to the approval of a loan for the purchase of certain art works. No serious collector should purchase a painting without verifying the authenticity using digital technology.
    Information concerning the methodology, the technologies and their limitations are highlighted in the Technology Core Area of this site. Also, the method of data presentation is illustrated. It will be very difficult to examine the data presented with a text only browser and it may result in a false impression of the results since some of the explanations and data will be invisible to the viewer. It is strongly suggested that the first time viewer follow these links with a image enabled browser prior to examining the results of the different artist research committees. Without a basic understanding of limitations and data presentation, it is impossible to receive an accurate impression of the results of these findings.
     This site is extensive and contains several hundred pages of data research and explanation. It is organised around five core areas to provide for simple navigation of the large volume of pages available to the researcher or casual viewer.

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