Met. bought fake Duccio?

New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art defends its purchase of an allegedly fake Madonna and Child by Duccio, which it bought at a private sale handled by Christie's for $45m (£24.4m). Art historian Professor James Beck claims the Met. was sold a pup. Don't tell me the Met. bought this dodgy artwork without having it scientifically tested! How stupid! The first the art world knew of this painting was when it miraculously popped up in the collection of some Russian count in the late 19th century. Note the parapet; this, claims Beck, proves it's a forgery. To help you decide, I've put the Met's dodgy Duccio beside a modern Russian icon. Looks like the Balkans Mafia to me. Well spotted, Prof.