I just read a fascinating book called ‘Whitley on Trial’. The story goes like this. Two Bret Whitely paintings are sold by a prominent art dealer. One for ~$2.5m, another for ~$1.1m. Painting 1 is bought by a Sydney car dealer, paying ~$1.1m for painting called Orange Lavendar Bay. He proudly displays it in his living room of his Sydney home. Arty type from established NSW Gallery with Fine Arts degrees visits his home, looks at the painting, and says, ‘Er, doesn’t look right’. Panicking, car dealer then gets Wendy Whitely (wife of late artist) to take a look. She looks at it, and says, ‘That is not a Bret Whitely painting’. Car dealer goes ballistic, calls art dealer, and says he was sold a fake, and he wants his $1.1m back. Threatens to sue. After some back and forth, dealer agrees to return the money. For the car dealer, no hard feelings. He loves talking to the press and enjoys all the notoriety that comes with the whole messy incident. Now for the second painting. Appears this painting was also a fake, bought for $2.5m, called Big Blue Lavendar Bay. But the person who bought the second painting was a little different to the Sydney car dealer. He is the CEO of prestigious investment bank in Sydney, and Chairman of an AFL Club, and does not like publicly. Certainly not this type of publicity. He feels dudded, and embarrassed. Refuses to talk to the press. So, it is a little unclear how that one exactly ended. Meanwhile, the Police charge the persons who originally sold the painting and the art restorer (who allegedly faked the paintings) with art fraud. Took a number of years to bring the case to court as the police don’t have an ‘art fraud branch’. In fact, at time of incident, police did not have single officer dealing with this stuff. The art restorer was a prestigious restorer in Melbourne with a long history of commissions. The art dealer who originally sold the paintings had a list of convictions for fraud (the painting had changed hands a number of times prior to recent sale. There is no suggestion dealer who last sold the painting knew them to be fake). The original art dealer who was charged claimed to have bought paintings off an elderly couple who have since died. At the trial, the County Court Judge can’t stand all the arty types giving evidence whether it is real or fake. ‘This is not the free flowing brush strokes of a Whitely, too mechanistic’. Judge thinks the whole thing is nonsense, and does not warm to all the arty community. The law is about hard evidence, he says, not arty opinions. So, he strongly recommends to the jury to return a non guilty verdict. Jury returns. Much to the judges shock, they find them both guilty of art fraud. But that is not where the story ends. Before sentencing, both accused appeal verdict to the Court of Appeal. Director of Public Prosecutions decides not to contest the appeal, so x2 accused are free to go. So, court drama over, but we have x2 ‘Bret Whitely’ paintings still floating around. One recently sold for $100k. Of course, it hasn’t been absolutrly proven to be a fake. Certainly not in a court. Anyone on PC been dudded buying a fake?
Not me, but a friend's dad. He used to invest a lot of money into owning 'part' of a painting. You could either buy whole paintings, or invest in a % with others. Then hopefully sell your % later at a profit. It worked well for him, and they were absolutely loaded. But then got duped by some guy up the street from them in Kenthurst, NSW that was selling the same % (or whole paintings) to many many people over. The paintings always remained at the dealers house in a secure too. I can't remember how much they lost, but his dad went into massive depression when it happened. I'll have to try and find the article. Was probably 5 years ago now.. EDIT: I think this is the one. Art dealer arrested over fraud
Is the Rollex watch a fake? Couldn't possibly be - I'm sure the guy who sold it at the market stall was reputable, he even sold tee shirts.
Ronald Coles. Neighbour to my dad and now a central coat taxi driver. Interesting that Max Mannix now owns the joint.
