Art Theft and Fraud

Kenneth Polk

In 2000, international in the auction houses alone reached almost $3 billion, and prices realized for works by individual artists included a work by Picasso, which sold for $55 million; a Matisse, for $17 million; a Cezanne, for $8.5 million; and a Renoir, for $7 million. Where such wealth abounds, crime is sure to follow. In the art world, the theft of art and the faking or forging of art are the major types of criminal activity. There are many forms of art, including paintings, sculpture, photography, ceramics, and works in glass. Most young artists producing such works sell directly to a local market. As they become established, they begin to work through a private dealer or gallery, where their works are sold either to customers of the dealer or to other dealers. As the reputation of an artist widens (often after his or her death), works originally sold for ...

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