A Tin Ear?


It’s an enduring story: elite tastemakers deem what’s hot and what’s not, based on factors too subtle for the average Joe to perceive (or care about). The world thrills when experts, in blind tests, favor Two Buck Chuck over Chateaubriand. And now, classical musicians get their piece of humble pie. 10 violinists were handed a Stradivarius—instruments long hailed for their superior sound— and a new violin made to look old, and asked to pick the real deal. Six failed.

What’s the connection to Van Gogh? The recent discovery of a painting by the Dutch master—and its authentication by experts—might sound like a case of elites acting as gate keepers. But it’s not. The question is one of authenticity: did Vincent paint this? Whether the painting is any good is a question best left to others.

—Alex Bortolot, Content Strategist, April 15

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Image: Håkan Svensson

Source: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/01/02/violinists-cant-tell-the-difference-between-stradivarius-violins-and-new-ones/#.U01s8FVdWSo