Read about some of the biggest scandals in the art world. Learn about how fighting fraud in the art world has a lot of parallels to fighting fraud in your everyday life. At the end of the page, take a quick quiz and win a small "thank you" prize.
The Knoedler Gallery Scandal
The Knoedler Gallery had been a well know distinguished art institution since 1846, until 1990 when it began to sell undiscovered paintings of Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. These paintings were provided by an unknown art collector who lived in Sweeden. In reality the paintings were forgeries created by a Chinese artist named Pei-Shen Qian.
The Inigo Philbrick Fraud
Inigo Philbrick was a rising star in the art world, but it all came crashing down when it was found out that he was manipulating and misrepresenting hundreds of art deals by inflating valuations and reselling the same artwork to multiple buyers. One of these paintings being by Jean-Michel Basquiat.
The Modigliani Epidemic
Modigliani is susceptible to forgery because of the distinctive style that is easy to replicate. In 2017 at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa exhibition Modigliani art has multiple dubious authentications. After some critics expressed their concern, the Italian police specializing in art fraud stepped in and confirmed these were fakes.
THE BANKSY COUNTERFETING SCANDAL
Banksy the exclusive street artist known for their political driven pieces became the center of art forgery in November of 2024 when over 2,000 counterfeits Banksy pieces were taking into investigation. Many of these forgeries were marked with the "Dismaland" stamp, referencing Banksy's trademark. The investigation on these pieces uncovered an operation of forgery in Italy and other European countries where they were using auction houses and exhibitions to legitimize to sell their fakes.
How avoiding art scams is applicable to the real world
Phishing
Scam emails pretending to be popular marketplaces like Amazon and Apple, asking to update credit cards, are commonplace. When buying art, this can take a similar form with emails pretending to be from a gallery containing links to payments. Some galleries advise buyers not to send sensitive information like wire details in writing and request that they call to share it verbally.
Paying attention to red flags or anything that feels remotely off is the best way to avoid a phishing scam. When in doubt, ask the person you’re corresponding with to speak on the phone–everyone can appreciate the need for caution.
This applies to everyday life. If you are unsure, look for signs that the person/company is not legitimate. If it is not evident, go directly to the company's website instead of the scammer's link.
Fake Buyers
Often scams offer what seem like dream scenarios: guaranteed sales, swift transactions, and famous clients. These rewards are precisely what make someone go against their better judgment. As Bridget Moore, president of New York’s DC Moore Gallery, aptly explained: “If someone offers you something too good to be true, it probably is too good to be true.”
In the real world this includes working with reputable companies that you independently contacted or have worked with previously.
Bait-and-switch
Baiting buyers—advertising goods at a low price with the intention of substituting them for inferior alternatives—is a practice any industry is susceptible to.
To be wary of these situations, ensure that you’re vetting the seller in question and researching similarly priced items to be certain of the price.
Pricing scams
In an industry where negotiations are common, pricing is susceptible to unscrupulous practices.
This is particularly tricky when it comes to prints and multiples. While print publishers typically maintain a list of market values of their editions, dealers selling the prints can charge whatever they like, which can lead to a range of prices for the same edition
With so many pitfalls, it’s unsurprising that scams occur. Vetting the people you buy from and doing diligence with resources like online price databases, advisors, dealers, and a catalogue raisonné can help protect against scams. Ensure also that you’re buying from reputable entities and marketplaces
Forgeries
Forged artwork is perhaps the best-known art world scam. This can include fake works purporting to be real, copies of known pieces, and even larger works cut into multiple smaller ones. Forgeries can even come with fake certificates of authenticity.
To avoid this, it is important to ask questions and working with a reputable advisor.
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Credits:
Created with images by Ifti Digital - "A painting depicting two cherubs, one holding a bow and the other aiming an arrow, in a detailed and vibrant scene, Cupids playing in a celestial garden, AI Generated" • Salsabila Ariadina - "Feasting in a Richly Decorated Interior" • Andrea Izzotti - "pompei ruins paintings and mosaic"