The art world has a long history of being vulnerable to forgery and fraud. Some counterfeit pieces are so expertly created that they have even fooled top art experts.
When these so-call masterpieces are eventually unveil as mere imitations, what happens next? Over the past few decades, numerous stories have emerge about forge artworks that were later exposed. Here’s a look at one of the most recent cases.
A suspect art dealer has been apprehend by authorities in both France and Spain for attempting to sell a counterfeit painting falsely attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.
Spanish authorities report that a man in his 40s, posing as a dealer, claim that the counterfeit item was value at nearly $1.5 million.
Following a two-year investigation, authorities successfully made the arrest. In 2022, the individual trie to transport the painting from Spain to Italy.
However, French customs officials at the Modane border, approximately 75 miles from Milan, seize the item from his vehicle. In the end, it was incomplete documentation that brought his scheme to a halt.
In Spain, any artwork over 100 years old requires an official export license. The individual in question possess a license indicating that the painting was value at $1.4 million.
The portrait in question depicts Gian Giacomo Trivialize, a prominent Italian military leader. It is believe that Leonardo da Vinci create this artwork during his tenure with Duke Ludovico Sforza in Milan, which spanned from 1482 to 1499.
Since the license had expire months earlier, the individual had been illegally transporting the painting across international borders.
An export license does not ensure a work’s authenticity,” state a representative from the Spanish national police. “In this instance, the license was exploit to falsely assert that the painting was genuine.
When French customs authorities discover that the license had expire, they confiscate the painting and alert Spanish law enforcement. The Spanish police then travel to the French border to retrieve the artwork.
The painting was deliver to the Museo Nacional del Prado, Spain’s premier art museum locate in Madrid. There, specialists conduct a thorough examination to verify its authenticity.
Experts at the museum have determine that the painting is not an original Leonardo da Vinci work but rather a replica of Milanese portraits from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. This imitation is estimate to have been create in the early 20th century.
Experts estimat its value to be between $3,200 and $5,400, significantly lower than the $1.4 million request by the art dealer.
In June, a new art fraud case came to light when investigators discover that ‘Astral Plain Scouts,’ a painting allege to be by renown artist Norval Morrisa, was actually a forgery. This artwork, which was donate to the Winnipeg Art Gallery in Canada by a private collector in 2000, was reveal to be counterfeit.
