For reasons related to money-not-art (now a hyphenated phrase and soon to be a single four-syllable word ... watch this space), the San Diego Museum of Art wants you to believe this piece was made by 17th Century painter and all-around hooligan Miguel Angel Merisi "de Caravaggio."
It wasn't.
To be fair, the claim was made by "art-focused journalist" Tyler Green, but it's hard to believe the SDMA wasn't in on the racket.
In fact, museum officials, and probably many people in San Diego, are embittered because a bigger, better space ... ahem ... the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, has eight verified Caravaggio paintings up -- a major coup for an American museum. Sorry, San Diego, but you'll always have native-son Joe Isuzu.
As for experts willing to attribute this work to Caravaggio, we know the art world and it smells funny.
"Art experts" will dance on a brass pole if you stick enough money in their panties
(acerbic Sevigny comment #2,456,987, all rights reserved).