Australian forgeries to be destroyed

A Victoria Supreme Court judge has ruled that three drawings purported to be by the celebrated Australian artists Charles Blackman and Robert Dickerson are fakes and must be destroyed. Justice Peter Vickery said that the works bore false signatures and “were deliberately contrived to deceive unsuspecting members of the public”. Dickerson said he “felt sick” when he saw the work which he said contained errors relating to proportion and materials. Melbourne art dealer Peter Gant had supplied the works between 1999 and 2005, although the court found that he had not been aware that the works were forgeries in its ruling last month.