Traditional analyses complemented by modern technology. Hephaestus represents the world’s highest evidentiary standard in art authentication.
Hephaestus was approached by the BBC to analyse paintings from the Zaks Collection using newly-developed machine learning algorithms called Pictology. Find out more →
01.
Provenance: We research the ownership history of the artwork through documentary evidence, from its creation to current collection.
02.
Connoiseurship: We consult with the leading specialists, art dealers, and academics to ensure the artwork is accepted by the market.
03.
Chemical Analysis: We conduct a carefully sequenced suite of scientific tests to verify that the age, process, and materials are consistent with the attribution.
04.
Pictology: Our proprietary machine learning algorithms (AI) are trained on a carefully curated high-resolution dataset of bonafide, authentic artworks. Using high-resolution images captured from a medium-format camera, Pictology is trained on a homogenous data set with fixed variables. This eliminates the need for very large data sets that can be difficult to acquire and curate.
05.
Blockchain-secured: Artworks authenticated by Hephaestus are indelibly linked to a digital record stored on a blockchain. This ensures that our authentications cannot be duplicated, edited or forged.
Before Hephaestus, art loans required personal guarantees, exorbitant coverage ratios, and carried high rates of interest.
Hephaestus’ authenticity product affords collectors highly competitive, long-term loans without personal guarantees (on a non-recourse basis). Hephaestus functions as an art ratings agency to banks and as a bolt-on financial department for collectors, advisors and dealers.
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Denis founded Hephaestus in 2018 with the mission of eliminating forgery from the art markets, combining his art historical expertise with his interest in developing tech-based solutions to complex problems.
denis@hephaestusanalytical.com
Steve brings financial and global corporate expertise to Hephaestus: he was a managing director in capital markets at Bear Stearns (London) and the CEO of a private equity holding company for Bank Alkhair of Bahrain.
steve@hephaestusanalytical.com
Jana brings her expertise working for online wine exchanges to consult on all things product and tech with a strong focus on data acquisition pipelines, product development and innovation.
Ilya Kudryashov is a distinguished researcher in experimental physics. Ilya has engaged in several notable research collaborations, leading to several impactful publications in reputable journals in the field of experimental physics.
