Fakes and forgeries

'The law has to fall on someone': Seller of allegedly fake Frans Hals must pay Sotheby's $5.4m for cancelled sale, judge insists

London Court of Appeal upholds the auction house's defence in forgery case, rejecting appeal by investment company Fairlight Art Ventures

Seller contests having to repay Sotheby’s for allegedly forged Frans Hals

In latest hearing of ongoing legal saga, Fairlight Art Ventures, co-vendor of painting sold in 2011 for $10.75m, is refusing to pay auction house more than $5.3m

Two Van Gogh fakes in Washington? Strong evidence produced against early drawings at the National Gallery of Art

Revelations in new book about an attic discovery throw fresh light on Vincent’s decision to become an artist

a blog by Martin Bailey

The Art Newspaper investigates: fakes and forgeries

Some of the world’s biggest forgery scandals were first reported in our pages, and led to further investigations that continue to have an impact on collections worldwide

History's greatest forgers

The ability to mimic a famous artist’s work, fool knowledgeable experts and swindle deep-pocketed collectors are skills that can elevate the ordinary conman to legendary status

British Museum expert says griffin returned to Iran is fake

Scepticism grows about confiscated silver vessel handed over by the US as an act of diplomacy

More victims of Abstract Expressionist fakes scandal revealed

In court documents, Knoedler lists the buyers and prices paid for works brought to the gallery by Glafira Rosales

Chinese artist (and AbEx copier) Pei-Shen Qian has some CV—but is it a fake too?

None of the museums listed as owning his work could find it in their collections

March 2012archive

Arrest in latest Prouvé fakes case

Three dealers say initial complaints were dismissed by Artcurial specialists

True scale of alleged Beltracchi forgeries revealed

Major auction houses and galleries have been caught up in the fake art scam

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

'Jesuit priest' donates fraudulent works

Academic museums and universities are being targeted by a suspected art forger

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

March 2010archive

Giacometti 'fakes' seized in alleged counterfeiting ring in Germany

A series of books, presumed to have been written by the suspect and claiming the artist's brother hid a secret stash of his works, were presented as provenance

July 2009archive

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

'Spanish Forger' miniatures bought by V&A

Scholars no nearer to finding the faker’s identity

Design forgery ring uncovered in France

A Parisian artist produced fake 20th-century classics by Jean Prouvé, Charlotte Perriand, Alexandre Noll and Pierre Chareau

Revealed: the eBay Banksy print fraud

Unauthorised works by the anonymous graffiti artist have been sold on the internet; prices for these have been illegally inflated with fake bids

The Modernist fakes mountain: How many John Drewe forgeries remain unidentified

Nearly 200 paintings forged by John Drewe may be on the market. The Art Newspaper tracked down 40

March 1999archive

'The biggest contemporary art fraud of the century'

John Drewe probably faked as many as 200 pictures, tampering with archive material and duping the experts

Exploitation of the Tate Archives: Trial of accused paintings fraudster

John Drewe donated money to the Tate and allegedly doctored its documents

July 1998archive

The Van Gogh fakes scandal: the tally one year later

Last July, The Art Newspaper broke the news that at least 45 Van Gogh paintings were suspect. This is what has happened since

July 1997archive

At least 45 Van Goghs may well be fakes: The Art Newspaper investigates

Sixteen of the doubted paintings are displayed in the Van Gogh museum; leading scholars to consider another 21 dubious works

July 1994archive

The hunting and capture of two fakers: Mr and Mrs 'van den Bergen' arrested on forgery charges

Ali Baba’s cave of forgeries uncovered—the crucial evidence lay in the fake certificates

May 1994archive

Mastermind behind Wedgwood fakes was at work for 20 years

Scotland Yard launches investigation into highly skilful counterfeits of antique Jasper and Black Basalt ware

March 1994archive

Master faker Alfred André's cache of evidence revealed

“Renaissance” jewels in the National Gallery of Art are by the hitherto unknown faker

Hebborn the fake: everything we learned from the forger's autobiography

By his own claim, his forged oeuvre numbers some 1,100 works ranging from “Mantegna” and “Giorgione” to “Van Dyck” and “Piranesi”