During the last year I have carried out a trial for my Van Gogh project which entails examining all Van Gogh drawings worldwide –focusing on private collections- and describing them in a much needed online catalogue raisonné. Reports in the media about authentication issues  have brought me to the conclusion that it is too tricky nowadays for experts to express their opinion on authenticity; all too often collectors seeking authentication take legal action if their work is not included in a catalogue raisonné or have been declared ‘not by the artist’. Upon careful consideration, and with some pain in my heart, therefore, I have decided not to start the project as planned, but to carry out my Van Gogh research otherwise. I still feel that it would be worthwhile to have a definitive Van Gogh catalogue raisonné online, but I am reluctant to express my professional opinion publicly like many fellow arthistorians and experts. For articles regarding authentication issues see: www.theartnewspaper.com