At the eminent art historian suing for the attribution of fake paintings by Max Ernst
ARTinvestment.RU   21 июня 2011

Monte Carlo Art Company sued the expert on the works of Max Ernst, for the fact that he witnessed the authenticity of the counterfeit product, is a member of the fakes, "a collection of Werner Jeghers'

last fall experts and the police managed to expose the largest fraud in Germany relating to the forgery of works of art . About 15 years a group of crooks (the main suspects - his wife Beltrachchi) manufactured the fake "gold standard" by Max Ernst, Fernand Leger, Henri Campendonk, etc. According to legend, the cloth came from the collection of Expressionist Helen Beltrachchi grandfather Werner Jeghers and got it by inheritance. Many pictures were fake fake gallery and collection labels that helped build their mythic provenance. Fakes are so good that some of them several times gone through the bidding respected auction houses, without causing them any shadow of doubt. Experts estimate that these fakes could earn about $ 49 million.

Beltrachchi couple and their two accomplices are accused of manufacturing and selling fakes, but to respond before the court, seems to have not only to them. One of the victims of fraud - the company Monte Carlo Art - sued to one of the leading experts on the works of Max Ernst, accusing him of incompetence in the attribution of fake paintings that the artist and the director of the gallery that sold the company the job. Monte Carlo Art bought the painting "Tremors" - allegedly the work of Max Ernst - in 2004 at the Paris Galerie Cazeau-Béraudière dealer Jacques de la Berode (Jacques de la Beraudiere). Witnessed the "authenticity" leaf-renowned expert Werner Spies (Werner Spies), who was personally acquainted with Max Ernst. In November of that year, Monte Carlo Art has taken "Tremors" with the hammer at Sotheby's for $ 1.1 million.

Werner Spies gave false certificates of authenticity, at least five forgeries by Max Ernst ; so respected expert opinion allowed to sell these paintings Beltrachchi reputable galleries. In particular, the Spice testified authenticity pictures "Forest" - the most expensive of the manufactured fraudulent imitations. Several times a change of ownership, work finally settled again in the gallery of Jacques de la Berode, where her in 2006, bought for $ 7 million well-known collector Daniel Filipachchi (Daniel Filipacchi). During the chemical analysis of leaf pigments were found that do not match the expected time of writing the work - means that work is a fake, no doubt remains. So, perhaps, the claim of Monte Carlo Art is not the only one.

Prepared Onuchina Maria, AI

Source: artinfo.com , artinvestment.ru