He said that this study, conducted by a scientist and art historian in Berlin, concluded that the oak panel came from the same tree as one used for a seventeenth century painting at the Gemaeldegalerie in Berlin.
“It’s seventeenth century Baltic oak, there is no question of that,” said Gaskell.
He also questioned Jordon’s story that the forgery was painted on the bureau drawer.
“I don’t think you’re going to find that kind wood in a dresser drawer anywhere, let alone down a dirt road in the San Fernando Valley,” he said.
Gaskell said he did not necessarily subscribe to the story portrayed about the Polish prince, either. He said that the prince might have left before the Nazi invasion.
Even if Fowler’s story is true, Gaskell said, “it may well be referring to a totally different painting.”
But Gaskell said that in light of the controversy, the Fogg would re-examine the painting’s authenticity.
Despite questions about its history, “Bust of Christ” is visible today on the second floor of the Fogg Museum, though the plaque to the right still reads “Rembrandt,” not “John Decker and Will Fowler.”