to close in November 2011, a Manhattan gallery Knoedler & Co was again involved in a scandal with fake works of art. This time against the gallery and its owners filed a lawsuit against Liechtenstein Martin Hilti Foundation charity. The occasion was the painting "Untitled" 1956, sold the fund for $ 5.5 million as work Mark Rothko . The transaction took place in 2002. And in 2011 the Knoedler gallery closed after 165 years of operation.

at the closed gallery and dealer Ann Freedman rained summonses on charges of selling fake works of art. first plaintiff was a businessman Pierre Lagrange, who bought a $ 17 million dubious work of Jackson Pollock . Then DeSole Domenico and his wife Eleanor charged Knoedler in the sale of fake Rothko for 8.3 million dollars. Another lawsuit filed by John Howard, who bought for $ 4 million allegedly false work of Willem de Kooning.

This lawsuit Martin Hilti Foundation states that examination conducted paintings allegedly painted by Rothko, showed the presence of red pigment, invented in 1960, that is, a few years after the expected date of writing (1956). As the defendants are the owner Knoedler Michael Hammer, former president of the gallery Ann Friedman and Glafira Rosales, a dealer from Long Island, allegedly taken to the Knoedler this and dozens of other fakes.

defense lawyers strongly denied that the sale of counterfeits. Defender Michael Hammer said he intends to vigorously defend the truth of his charge in court, and that its full justification. A lawyer Ann Friedman believes that all these attacks on her reputation as dictated by professional jealousy and revenge. Alleged counterfeit of Rothko, according to the lawyer, has been involved in major exhibitions - in particular, the Beyeler Foundation in 2002.

Prepared Maria Onuchina, AI

Source: artinvestment.ru