The occasion was the picture, which the artist allegedly wrote in prison, serving a sentence for possession of LSD

next month in the District court of Northern Illinois will be the case, precedent which has not been in the history of the world of art. Living and zdravstvuyet the artist will have to prove that he is not the author of the work attributed to him persistently. Such cases may relate to experts giving opinion on the works of deceased artists, but not the author of the work. But this is what happens now with the famous landscape painter and one of the most successful living artists Peter Doig.

One Robert Fletcher, Robert Fletcher, 62, a former prison guard, in court trying to prove that the painting he bought in 1976 for $100 one of the prisoners, is the work of Peter Doig and the artist was thus a prisoner, trapped in a correctional facility for possession of LSD. The real Peter Doig does not deny that dabbled in his youth with drugs and lived in 1976 in Canada, but he never never went to jail Thunder Bay, a 15-hour drive from Toronto.

the Painting of Fletcher — and slightly surreal desert landscape — signed with the name "Pete Doig". According to legend, the boy who wrote it, studied drawing at a local College Lakehead, but ended up in a penal-трудовое institution for possession of LSD. Fletcher was his jailer and kindness gave the kid for his painting for $100 (to not relapsed after release). Many years later, friends pointed out to him that the author of the picture may be the famous Peter Doig. Fletcher already mentally believed the millions he can make money on it, but Doig received from Fletcher's work picture, said that a "nice work but not mine." In the end, Fletcher and his friend, the dealer, self-righteous, took the artist to court and demanded $5 million that they lost on the potential deal from-за that Doig, you see, refused to recognize their work. In the end, the judge accepted the case and set a hearing date next month. The plaintiff claims that Peter Doig does not want to remember about that period when he was in prison, and therefore renounces the picture by mistake or deliberately. And however turns away from the man who when-то helped him.

Artist outraged by such accusations. He in 1976 was only 16-17 years old, and he has written on the canvas (the first paintings Doig refers to 1979). Besides, he never wrote with acrylic paints (namely, in this technique performed the ill-fated landscape). "It's a Scam. I was forced to put out to justify where I was and what I did 40 years ago", — says the artist. Gallery Doig says they will fight in court for his good name. They have the funds. But what about artists who will not be able to defend themselves in a similar situation whose-то "violent greed"? To accept and skip the fakes on the market?

the Most interesting that Peter Doig and his lawyer already seem to have found the real author of the picture. His name was Peter Edward Doige (Peter Edward Doige). He died in 2012. But his sister confirmed that Peter studied in Lengede and served time in Thunder Bay. In addition, she learned the depicted landscape — place in Arizona, where their mother lived, and where her brother was. It is even one of the trees learned. This second "Peter Doig" and even the painting was identified and drawing teacher from College Lakehead.

However, it was not enough for the judge to dismiss the lawsuit. Peter Doig intends to submit to the court its records, documents, letters, photographs and other evidence that he never visited the specified College in 1975-1976.

And even if Fletcher wins the case and get official court orders that the author of this work is Peter Doig, this victory will be Pyrrhic. After all, hardly any-то auction or gallery take on the implementation of the work, which refuses the artist

the Material was prepared by Maria Onuchina, AI

Sources: nytimes.com, artforum.com, artinvestment.ru