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Sophisticated forgers

But in the case of unique works, a painting that looks like one known to be already in a collection is immediately suspect. Today, more sophisticated forgers are not making outright copies of existing ones or serial look-alikes: They become the artist, creating new works ‘in the spirit of.’

There is a particularly good forger who has produced outstanding figurative paintings that the old masters might have been proud of acknowledging as their own. Moreover, this master forger has done research, or at least is being guided by an art historian, since the subjects and styles are correct for the period, and the counterfeits even have gallery labels with titles and owners’ names which really exist and are on record.

Scot-free
Why have these forgers and rogue dealers gotten away scot-free?

Usually, it takes years before a buyer discovers a painting to be a forgery, and by that time, the seller can plead that too much time has passed. Also, the fact is that few buyers want to admit that they were taken in. Some victims have gone so far as to take the matter to court. But such cases prosper only when the transaction is documented. Unfortunately, many buyers do not ask for receipts or deeds of sale. Most are happy enough when the rogue dealers return their money and settle out of court.

If the seller toughs it out, most buyers of counterfeit art simply keep quiet. Their way out is to try to pass off their mistakes—making much of the certificates of authenticity, photos of purported painters’ relatives posed with the paintings, lengthy technical descriptions—to some other lamb with more fleece than good sense.

But this cannot go on. Buyers who realize they had lain with wolves will shy away, and eventually the Philippine art market may die. The lying must stop somewhere.

Villegas writes on art, culture and history. As a professional appraiser, he has helped evaluate the art holdings of private collectors as well as the Bangko Sentral, the Ayala Museum, Museo de La Salle and other institutions. He has been a licensed dealer in antiques and art for over 30 years.

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