Contrary to popular imagination, not all the toil of art restoration is devoted to curing the ills of time, or to erasing fig leaves inappropriately situated by more moral minds of previous epochs. In fact, much of the work is driven merely by the desire to profit.

By presenting "befores and afters," ARTFUL HISTORY shows how paintings can suffer more irrevocable damage in a few moments under a restorer's hand than in centuries of decay. A large painting becomes two. A well-masked forgery, which has revealed itself, is reinstated to its former status.

Combining these and other examples with stories of life in the restoration studio, ARTFUL HISTORY incisively examines the mysterious process of restoring art.

"A trenchant critique, it dissects the profitable discourse that envelops fine art." - Village Voice