Scientists at the Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France in Valenciennes have published a study in the June 2026 issue of *Surface Topography: Metrology and Properties* introducing a new method to authenticate artworks and identify forgeries. Led by Francois Berkmans, Ludovic Nys, and Maxence Bigerelle, the research uses surface metrology—analyzing the texture and topography of brushstrokes like a fingerprint—via high-resolution scans. They tested the technique on nine van Gogh paintings, correctly flagging a known fake as a "strong outlier" and confirming the authenticity of *Sunset at Montmajour*, which the Van Gogh Museum had already validated in 2013.
This matters because it offers a noninvasive, measurable tool for art authentication that could supplement traditional connoisseurship, reducing reliance on subjective visual analysis or damaging sampling. While the method is not intended to replace expert judgment, it provides a reproducible "fingerprint" of an artist's brushwork, potentially transforming how forgeries are detected and how disputed artworks are evaluated in the art market and museum world.