Sotheby’s has announced another acquisition in its portfolio of service providers to owners of art:

Sotheby’s is delighted to announce the establishment of a Scientific Research Department led by renowned scientist James Martin, who will join Sotheby’s this week following the acquisition of his firm, Orion Analytical.

Employing state-of-the-art technical and scientific methods, the new department will complement the world-class expertise and provenance research behind the works of art, objects and wine offered by Sotheby’s. Bringing scientific expertise in-house mirrors a trend seen in the world’s great museums and places Sotheby’s in a position to provide even greater service to collectors.

Over four decades, James Martin has developed a unique skillset as a scientist, art conservator and teacher.  He has undertaken more than 1,800 investigations for clients on five continents, and taught at The Getty Conservation Institute, The Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute, and the FBI’s Counterterrorism and Forensic Science Research Unit.  He also holds academic appointments at New York University and Williams College.  James has conducted art fraud investigations for the FBI for twenty years, and played a central role in the most significant forgery investigations of recent times.