Fakes and forgeries

What are fakes and forgeries?

They are works passed off as something they are not. Either a modern imitation of a famous artist's hand, or a genuine painting given someone else's, more enticing signature. The aim is to deceive the buyer and profit from a name that in itself drives the price up. This is nothing new; it has accompanied the art market from the beginning.

When does the risk of a forgery grow?

Most of all with sought-after artists who are no longer living, where the maker can no longer speak to the work and demand is high. With modern art, by contrast, documentation tends to be better and a work's path better recorded. The older and more sought-after the name, the more carefully it is wise to proceed.

How do you protect yourself against a forgery?

The best defence is to buy from vetted sources and to check whether the work is listed in the catalogue raisonné, the record of an artist's entire documented output. Authentication committees and specialists who assess authenticity help too. And of course a demonstrable origin for the work, which is called provenance.

What should you watch out for?

A suspiciously low price, a hazy story about where a work came from, or missing documentation are signals worth taking seriously. When something looks like an unbelievable opportunity, it is usually worth asking why. Better one extra question than an expensive lesson.

— Anna Pulkertová, founder of Art Part Club