It Always Starts with a Story: How Microscopic Clues Expose Forged Art

Some art forgeries can trick even the eye of a trained expert. But can they fool scientists? In this free interactive talk, we’ll explore the scientific tools and techniques being used at SFU to spot microscopic differences between a real work of art and a forgery. Join SFU chemistry professor Nabyl Merbouh and art historian Barry Magrill, as they discuss the use of advanced spectroscopy-based techniques in their art investigations.

This lecture is presented by the SFU Liberal Arts & 55+ Program.

Lecturers

Barry Magrill, PhD, is an educational developer and faculty member in the Centre for Teaching Excellence at Capilano University and an instructor in SFU's Liberal Arts and 55+ Program. He began his career teaching art history and later transitioned to instructional design after earning a graduate certificate in instructional design and online learning from the University of Wisconsin–Stout. His academic background is rooted in the fine arts, having completed a PhD in art history at UBC in 2008. This was followed by a SSHRC postdoctoral fellowship in 2010, focusing on community building and mosque architecture in Canada. In 2012, his first book, A Commerce of Taste: Church Architecture in Canada, was published by McGill-Queen’s University Press as part of their international History of Religion series. Since 2022, he has concentrated on exploring the pedagogical implications of teaching in an era shaped by Generative Artificial Intelligence.

Nabyl Merbouh, PhD, is a teaching professor in the SFU Department of Chemistry. He joined Simon Fraser University as a chemistry instructor in 2005, and was promoted to teaching professor in 2017. His research interests are focused on improving teaching methods in organic chemistry and spectroscopy for undergraduate students. He is the founder and director of the Undergraduate Teaching and Innovation Laboratory (UTIL) in the chemistry department. He has authored over 50 peer-reviewed scientific papers in organic chemistry and chemical education, and was the recipient of the SFU Faculty of Science Excellence in Teaching Award in 2016 and the SFU Excellence in Teaching Award in 2017.