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Bernard Berenson (1865 - 1959) was an art historian who graduated from Harvard University. He and his wife Mary were both art historians.
He was considered to have one of the greatest eyes for Renaissance art in the world, and a verdict of authenticity from him was worth a fortune in his day. Renaissance paintings had previously been a small part of the art market due to the difficulties of authentication, but Berenson's work changed this dramatically. In recent years it has been discovered that a number of his attributions were in fact incorrect, and speculation continues as to whether these were deliberate as Berenson often had a considerable financial stake in them.
He published three books: The Art of Florence, The Art of Venice,, and The Art of Siena. His home in Florence was named I Tatti, and is now a Harvard study center which houses his collection of books on art history and humanism.
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