NewsArt market
Secrets and lies: the role of restorers in art crime
Regulation of the conservation profession may be a start, but can it quash the “ego” that often motivates restorers-turned-forgers?
NewsArt market
Art world rushes to conform to UK's anti-money laundering laws
So far a total of 475 "art market participants" have been registered—but delays mean more are likely to comply in the coming months
NewsArt market
California man admits to selling over $1m in forged art, purportedly by Richard Hambleton and Barkley Hendricks
Jason Harrington pleaded guilty to selling phony paintings to at least 15 galleries and individuals between 2018 and 2020
NewsArt market
What the US government sanctions of prominent Bulgarian art collector Vassil Bojkov mean for the art market
Oligarch is blacklisted as countries ramp up regulation and authorities move yet another step closer to the art world
NewsFakes & copies
Mexican man arrested by FBI for attempting to sell allegedly fake works by Basquiat and Haring
Angel Pereda was offering paintings and sculptures by the artists to auction houses in New York
NewsArt theft
Greek police recover Picasso and Mondrian paintings stolen nine years ago in major heist
Authorities have reportedly arrested a man after the paintings were found in a gorge
NewsStolen art
Interpol launches app to identify stolen art—and it has already been used to discover loot
Spanish police say they used the ID-art programme to successfully spot stolen Roman coins worth €200,000
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
How a Van Gogh painting was stolen from a Cairo museum—not once, but twice
The Khalil Museum, with its fabled Impressionists in a mansion by the Nile, has reopened after an 11-year renovation—without Vincent’s flower still-life
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
Dutch police arrest over Van Gogh smash-and-grab raid: how long until the landscape is recovered?
The suspect is linked to a Frans Hals theft, which should help track down paintings from two museums
NewsArt crime
Massachusetts man arrested for breaking into Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum with a stolen painting
The man allegedly opened an emergency door at the museum and threw in a painting he had stolen from a nearby gallery days earlier
NewsRestitution
Congolese activist who tried to seize an artefact from the Louvre is fined €5,000
Mwazulu Diyabanza says that “museums do not deserve respect” as restitution debate intensifies
NewsStolen art
Samsung partners with art crime expert to hunt for world's missing masterpieces
Works by Monet, Van Gogh and Cézanne, which were stolen in dramatic art heists, are available to view online
NewsArt crime
Artful codgers: why the art market is a hotbed of grey crime
The recent case of a 71-year-old dealer convicted of art fraud is far from unique—in fact, elderly offenders could be on the rise
NewsArt crime
Man tries to take artefact from Louvre—just two weeks after being charged for the same crime at Quai Branly
Congolese activist Emery Mwazulu Diyabanza, fined €1,000 earlier this month, will go to court again later today
NewsArt crime
Criminal claims 13 works from legendary Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist are hidden in a Dublin house
BBC4 documentary—released today—unpicks theory that the stolen art was shipped to Ireland
NewsStolen art
Stolen Mao Zedong scroll worth $300m found cut in half after being resold for $65
Hong Kong police have arrested three men in relation to a $645m heist that included calligraphy by the Communist leader and other revolutionary art and ephemera
NewsArt crime
Two Manhattan antiquities dealers arrested on charges of fraud
Authorities have accused Erdal Dere and Faisal Khan of running an alleged scheme to swindle buyers by using fake provenances
NewsBrazil
Court-ordered auction of works from disgraced Brazilian banker's collection prompts new controversy
The Museum of Contemporary Art at the University of São Paulo claims it is owed $3.6m for conserving and storing around 1,600 works repossessed from bankrupt Banco Santos president Edemar Cid Ferreira
NewsMoney laundering
Will US Congress finally pass anti-money laundering legislation?
A recent Senate report found that secretive art market enables sanctions circumvention
NewsArt crime
Man who punched £20m Picasso painting at Tate Modern is jailed for 18 months
Repairing the piece—on long-term loan from a private collection—will take more than a year and cost up to £350,000
AnalysisFakes & copies
Experts weigh in on alleged art forgery ring in Michigan
Art historians explain why the work of lesser known artists with rising markets, like George Copeland Ault and Gertrude Abercrombie, might become the target of a fakes scheme
NewsArt crime
California man sentenced to five years in prison for $6m international art fraud scheme
Philip Righter pleaded guilty to selling works fraudulently attributed to Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, among others
NewsFrida Kahlo
Spanish dealer claims to find long-lost Frida Kahlo painting
Missing for six decades, La Mesa Herida (The Wounded Table) may be in a London warehouse, but experts say the work is likely a fake
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
Van Gogh held hostage: private detective tells us he has more photographs
Will Arthur Brand’s images of the stolen painting lead to a recovery?
NewsArt crime
German art dealer and socialite Angela Gulbenkian arrested in Lisbon
Accused of fraudulent sales of a Kusama pumpkin sculpture and a Warhol print, the dealer and collector awaits extradition to the UK after missing court hearing
NewsArt market
Fugitive art dealer Inigo Philbrick found on Pacific Island, charged with $20m fraud scheme
London and Miami-based Philbrick, on the run since October, was arrested by FBI on Vanuatu on Thursday
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
In recent decades 28 Van Goghs have been stolen in the Netherlands—but all have been recovered
Detectives are intensifying their investigation into the latest crime, at Laren’s Singer museum, which was committed this week on the artist’s birthday
AnalysisArt theft
Boomerang art thefts: the stolen art that finds its way back
From a Van Gogh left in a public toilet to a Klimt found inside a gallery wall, just what is it that prompts criminals to return such valuable works?
NewsArt theft
Birthday heist: Van Gogh painting stolen from Dutch museum on anniversary of artist's birth
The Singer Laren museum in the Netherlands is currently on lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic
NewsArt theft
Three paintings—including valuable Van Dyck portrait—stolen from Oxford University gallery
London-based Old Masters dealer says that the works are “an unusual group to steal—neither priceless nor small fry”
NewsArt crime
Suspect list in stolen Klimt saga grows
A woman connected to the museum where the painting was found is under investigation by the Italian police
NewsLoot
Looted ancient temple sculpture—seized by UK police—will go home to Afghanistan
British Museum and Art Loss Register collaborate over recovery of ancient bull decoration that was consigned to an online auction
NewsFraud
German socialite Angela Gulbenkian faces second criminal case over Warhol picture
The Munich-based dealer and collector is also due to stand trial in London for allegedly stealing £1.1m in Kusama pumpkin sale
NewsCrime
Released but still under investigation: Russian couple embroiled in fraud scandal
Igor and Olga Toporovsky linked to controversial show of Russian avant-garde works in Ghent
NewsArt crime
Why do courts lack conviction in art cases?
Collapse of Bulmer theft case is just the latest in string of failed art-related convictions
NewsArt crime
Federal charges could lead to deeper scrutiny of Cambodian art in the US
Major museums hold works linked to prolific collector accused of smuggling and fraud
NewsDiscoveries
Stolen 'Klimt' found hidden in a wall will take a month to authenticate, officials say
Gardener discovered the painting behind a metal plate on an exterior wall at Italy's Ricci Oddi gallery
CommentLawsuits
Dodgy dealers beware: anti-fraud lawsuits are on the rise
A spate of fraudulent agents in the dock this year give the art trade a bad image—even if only a few individuals are involved
CommentGreen Vault
Why the Dresden jewel heist wasn’t worth a billion, but why the Germans are still really upset
Thieves stole Baroque jewels from the Green Vault earlier this week after breaking in through a window
NewsArt crime
Thieves steal priceless Baroque jewels from Dresden museum
After breaking in through a window at the Green Vault, the intruders grabbed three royal jewellery ensembles containing diamonds and pearls
NewsStolen art
Los Angeles police recover $800,000 worth of stolen lithographs by Scottish artist Benjamin Creme
Missing since 2012, around 1,300 prints have been returned to their rightful owner, who used to sell Creme's works
NewsArt crime
Painter linked to Old Master forgery case appeals arrest warrant
Italian court postpones decision over Lino Frongia's arrest and transfer to France until February
NewsArt crime
'Prominent' Berlin art dealer arrested on suspicion of fraud
Police has raided seven premises in connection with the investigation
NewsArt crime
Money laundering, trafficking, ivory: crackdown on art crime intensifies
Wave of sentencing and changes in legislation puts pressure on art world
AnalysisArt crime
It’s 50 years since Caravaggio’s Nativity was stolen in Palermo: have the police been chasing red herrings all this time?
New enquiries suggest a US or Swiss connection through the mafia heroin trade
NewsArt crime
Man who stole painting in broad daylight from Moscow museum is sentenced to three years in prison
Denis Chuprikov took the landscape from State Tretyakov Gallery with the aim of "causing hype", he says
NewsArt crime
Art Recovery International calls on Icom to step in and investigate 'stolen' Reynolds painting on show in Japan
The portrait was allegedly stolen from the home of a menswear magnate in 1984
AnalysisArt crime
Seller beware: how to avoid being duped by an artful dodger
Timothy Sammons misled clients over sales of works by artists including Picasso
BlogAdventures with Van Gogh
Two stolen Van Goghs go back on display after 14-year ordeal at the hands of Italian gangsters
Conservation at the Amsterdam museum has revealed a fake Vincent signature on the genuine seascape
NewsArt crime
Artist recreates exiled dictator's treasure trove in 3D—but what happened to the originals?
Pio Abad and Frances Wadsworth Jones's replicas of jewels smuggled into Hawaii by Imelda Marcos are displayed at the Honolulu Biennial alongside the social services they could have paid for
NewsRestitution
FBI launches campaign to return haul of Native and South American works
Thousands of illegally removed items—including human bones—were discovered on collector’s farm
NewsArt crime
London dealers embroiled in Ezra Chowaiki fraud scheme over $1.2m Chagall painting
Fresh complaint seeks the return of the work allegedly sold by the disgraced Manhattan dealer under false pretences
NewsConservation & Preservation
Restored, but demoted: stained-glass window not by Tiffany, expert says
River of Life depiction has been newly reattributed to J & R Lamb Studios
NewsArt market
Mayfair Fine Art administrators struggle to trace paintings linked to money-laundering scandal
Two works supposedly owned by bankrupt company, whose director Matthew Green resigned in February following FBI sting operation, are "apparently" in Dubai
NewsHeritage
Looted vessels returned at event marking 15 years of US-Italy art crime fighting co-operation
Italian official also says the country will ratify 2017 Nicosia Convention outlining penalties for offenses involving cultural heritage
NewsCrime
Police arrest man after attempted theft of Magna Carta at Salisbury Cathedral
Incident is a further blow to English city following the novichok poisonings earlier this year
NewsConservation & Preservation
Spain tells vandal to Kiss off after Santiago de Compostela statue defaced
Authorities vow to find rock fan who damaged Medieval statue
BlogDiary of an art historian
Criminal thoughts about a Rubens portrait and watching Nanette on my summer art detox
Rubens’s portrait of his daughter Clara Serena gave me the urge to steal a painting
NewsArt crime
Full extent of burglary at Bath’s Museum of East Asian Art revealed
With the value of Chinese antiquities on the rise, police suspect the items removed were stolen to order
NewsPablo Picasso
French court annuls conviction for electrician in possession of stolen Picasso works
Another court will have to uncover how the 271 works were stolen and by whom before being received by Pierre and Danielle Le Guennec
NewsArt crime
Picasso painting offered in money-laundering scheme, US feds say
London art dealer Matthew Green embroiled in case that involves attempted sale of a painting to an undercover agent to 'clean up' £6.7m, court documents state
BlogIn the frame
Sniffer dogs set to save Syria’s cultural heritage
BlogIn the frame
Artoon by Pablo Helguera, November 2017
"To be perfectly honest, it hurts my feelings that no one has considered our gallery to be good enough to hack"
NewsArt crime
Ancient relief seized from dealer at Tefaf's fall edition in New York
The work, depicting an Achaemenid soldier and dating from the 5th century BC, was ordered removed from the stand of Rupert Wace by the district attorney
NewsFraud
Galleries hit by cyber crime wave
Hackers are using an email scam to intercept payments between galleries, collectors and others
NewsArt crime
US returns 95 works from money laundering banker’s collection to Brazil
The works were smuggled out of the country by Edemar Cid Ferreira and have been gradually repossessed over the past decade
NewsArt market
Closure of London’s art and antiques crime squad 'would be madness says former chief
The potential negative implications of the “much mooted” closure of the UK’s art crime unit set the tone for the Art Business Conference yesterday
News
Three Francis Bacon works stolen in Madrid recovered by Spanish police
Paintings were seized following a tip-off from the Art Loss Register
NewsKnoedler
No further jail time for Glafira Rosales for her role in $80m Knoedler forgery scandal
The Long Island dealer says she was abused and coerced into committing fraud by partner who fled to Spain
News
‘Operation Pandora’: police in Spain and Cyprus lead major bust of antiquities traffickers
The effort, which involved 18 countries, resulted in 75 arrests and the seizure of around 3,500 objects
NewsArt crime
US authorities target Asia Week to seize works and make an arrest
Dealers call for access to information about problem artefacts linked to Subhash Kapoor
NewsArt market
Art Loss Register faces competition complaint from Art Recovery Group
Gloves come off in fight to run international database of stolen works of art
News
Experts identify top six scandals amid boom in art crime
As new challenges emerge, tighter regulation is needed, they tell New York conference
ArchiveForgeries
Fakes still on the market as Knoedler victims sue
New lawsuits filed after we publish list of those who bought forgeries—some of which have not been traced
ArchiveRotterdam
Thieves foil high-tech security at Kunsthal Rotterdam
Seven works were stolen as unmanned overnight protection fails
ArchiveArt market
Was the Knoedler gallery warned about fakes?
The family of the artist Richard Diebenkorn says it alerted the gallery to fakes before they were sold
ArchiveForgeries
Indonesian tycoon Tong Djoe loses appeal in fake case
An Indonesian businessman has lost his appeal against claims that he sold a fake painting, according to reports in the Singapore press
ArchiveForgeries
Italian pop art forgery scandal widens as six more works are now being sought
Public prosecutor Giuseppe Ferrando pursues fakes tied to JZ Art gallery
ArchiveFakes & copies
Number of Beltracchi fakes keeps on rising
Fortunately for the German art forger, he has fled the country and therefore cannot be investigated
ArchiveDecember 2011
True scale of alleged Beltracchi forgeries revealed
Major auction houses and galleries have been caught up in the fake art scam
ArchiveForgeries
Football star and former Formula 1 boss caught up in fakes case
Jonathan Zebina and Flavio Briatore deny knowing paintings may be forgeries
ArchiveSeptember 2011
Man who posed as count in Giacometti scam handed nine-year sentence by German courts
This ruling concludes a case launched after discovery of 1,150 fake sculptures
ArchiveForgeries
Four to go on trial in German “Werner Jäger” forgery case
Wolfgang Beltracchi, his wife Helene, her sister Jeanette, and Otto Schulte-Kellinghaus stand accused of selling high quality forgeries
ArchiveEgyptian art
Bolton’s fake Egyptian princess returns to the duped museum
While its real antiquities from Egypt travel to China
ArchiveOctober 2010
The source of infamous forger Van Meegeren’s secret supplies exposed
A Scotland Yard report shows that the notorious Dutch faker bought lapis lazuli paint for his “Vermeers” in bulk from Winsor & Newton
ArchiveForgeries
Australian forgeries to be destroyed
Fakes were purported to be by Charles Blackman and Robert Dickerson
ArchiveJuly 2009
Banksy gets the law on his side with a sting operation against forgers
Meanwhile, a new show organised by the mysterious artist proves to be a blockbuster
ArchivePark West Gallery
Park West sued by customers who demand refunds for "fake" works
The gallery dismisses the suit as a “smear campaign”
ArchiveForgeries
New York- and Miami-based dealer Giuseppe Concepcion accused over multiple forgeries
Concepcion is alleged to have sold fake Matisses and Calders among others, complete with forged certificates of authenticity
ArchiveJanuary 2009
Design forgery ring uncovered in France
A Parisian artist produced fake 20th-century classics by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Alexandre Noll and Pierre Chareau
ArchiveNews
Artist John Chamberlain can be sued over disputed Warhol, says Judge
Former Factory assistant claims he made the disputed work
ArchiveCambodia
Khmer sculpture handed back to Cambodia
An attempt to smuggle it was thwarted in the US
ArchiveArt crime
Getty curator could escape charges on a technicality
Marion True faces charges of conspiring to receive illicitly excavated artefacts
ArchiveArt market
Court finds Peter Brant really does own Warhol’s Red Elvis
The decision ends a dispute that started in 2000
ArchiveArt crime
Shell Company Lawsuit: Gagosian and Brant pay $10 million to Uncle Sam in unpaid taxes
The US lawsuit alleged they created a shell company to avoid paying dues
ArchiveForgeries
New York art dealer Ely Sakhai accused of forgery scam as he sells masterpieces twice
He has been released on bail, which was set at $1 million
CommentArt crime
Don't let your guard down: three things you can do now to protect your art during the pandemic
With sparse personnel and visitors, some criminals will try to see if the “closed” sign actually means “open”, say K2 Intelligence FIN's art crime experts
Jordan Arnold and James Wynne