Last Friday in Miami was arrested successful American art dealer, the owner of two galleries, Giuseppe Concepcion (Giuseppe Concepcion). According to prosecutors, from 2005 to 2007 he managed to sell a lot of counterfeit works of art, including works by Henri Matisse (Henri Matisse), Chagall ( Marc Chagall) and Koldera Alexander (Alexander Calder).

Dealers charged that first he bought the original works of famous artists, then buy them a copy or ordered the forgery of a rigged.

One of Concepción deceived buyers bought him a picture of Alexander Koldera «Red maelstrom» (1969) value of 180 thousand dollars. In order to settle with the owner of the gallery, he laid out 120 thousand, and gave his Concepción «Bentley» 2004. After purchase, the customer contacted the Foundation Alexander Koldera, where specialists in the artist said that the picture is fake. According to the indictment, the buyer brings to the Fund purchased an additional 14 at Concepción of the artist - and all of them were found fake.

It is also known yet about the two victims of action to an art dealer, one of whom bought counterfeit Chagall watercolor over 125 thousand dollars, while the other - false picture of the master of pop art Vesselmanna Tom (Tom Wesselmann).

Lawyer Concepción Heller, Mark (Mark Heller) believes that his client's acquittal. According to him, Concepcion - a law-abiding art-lovers, who had no idea that his gallery sold forgery. Heller said that the accused had purchased fakes from other dealers, who must also bear responsibility for the crime. In his view, to make a scapegoat out of Concepción, which should otduvatsya for all - a very unfair.

art dealer has been released on bail of 500 thousand pounds. If he's convicted, he faces up to 30 years in prison.

Material prepared Yulia Maksimova

Sources: boston.com , artinvestment.ru

PS On this topic can also be read:

Brief history of forgery of works of art