The State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow is being accused of displaying a fake Modigliani
in their current exhibition "Paris School; 1905-32." The painting in question is a supposed portrait of Marevna, the Russian-born cubist painter who was associated with Amedeo Modigliani's (1884-1920) circle. The work is on loan from an unnamed private collection.

The questioning began when a Russian collector who was once interested in purchasing the work sent it in for scientific testing by the Swiss Institute for Art Research. The collector, who wishes to remain anonymous, said, "After 40 days, I got the evaluation back from the institute, which indicated that some of the pigments used in this painting were synthetic, produced after 1940." He decided against purchasing the painting only to find it now hanging in a museum.

The collector isn't the only one who's concerned, but not all are in agreement with him. The president of the Modigliani Institute in Rome, Christian Parisot, believes it to be a genuine portrait. Parisot has the legal right to authenticate works. In addition, he claims to possess a document by Marevna stating she posed for Modigliani.

(Report: Alisa Alexander)