Authenticity and Implicature.

An essay is presented which explores the concept of authenticity with regard to art, in response to the arguments presented in Carolyn Korsmeyer's 2019 book "Things: In Touch With the Past." Topics discussed include the difference between an artwork by painter Johannes Vermeer and a forgery of Vermeer by art forger Han van Meegeren in terms of financial and artistic value, the factors being considered in the evaluation of the authenticity in art, the distinction between conventional and conversational implicatures, and the concerns raised about art restorations, copies, and misrepresentation of original sources.