Basquiat, there are twenty-five of his works (at least until proven otherwise) under the scrutiny of the FBI.
The news comes from across the ocean and is just a few weeks old, stating that some works by the American artist, exhibited during the Heroes and Monsters show at the Orlando Museum of Fine Arts in Florida, may not be authentic.
In short, this would be yet another case of forgeries in the art market.
A Matter of Character
There are twenty-five works in question, dated 1982 and attributed to the genius of the American graffiti artist, but they are involved in a federal investigation led by the FBI.
Concerns about their authenticity arose following an examination by Lindon Leader, an industrial designer, who noticed the presence of Univers typeface from the Federal Express brand on one of the cardboard bases of a work, which was only introduced in 1994.
Basquiat died in 1988, so he could never have used them.
The Basquiat Case
Unavoidably, the Basquiat case has erupted.
The works, which after being exhibited in the United States were supposed to arrive in Italy, have been seized.
The Orlando Museum of Fine Arts is involved in the investigation only as a witness, but one of the most controversial aspects of the entire affair is actually the economic value of the works.
According to the appraisal conducted on behalf of the current owners by Putnam Fine Art and Antique Appraisals, they would be worth – if authentic – one hundred million dollars.
Basquiat: Is It a Federal Crime?
But it is necessary to take a step back regarding the current ownership.
According to initial reconstructions, in the 1980s, an American television producer who passed away just a few years ago, Thaddeus Mumford, allegedly purchased the canvases directly from Basquiat for a mere sum of about 5,000 dollars.
The paintings were then left in a warehouse for thirty years until, in 2012, William Force and Lee Morgan, the current owners, acquired them for 15 thousand dollars.
There doesn’t seem to be anything particularly shocking so far, but in an interview with an FBI agent before his death, Mumford allegedly denied ever having bought works from Basquiat. Not only that, but he was reportedly forced by the current owners to sign authentications in exchange for 10% of the proceeds.
Investigations are still ongoing, but if the Basquiat works are confirmed as forgeries, it would constitute a federal crime.
