A respected New York gallery sells masterpieces to elite collectors, only for the art world to discover that the paintings are not lost treasures at all. Knoedler Gallery Scandal tells the story of the fake Rothkos, forged modern masters and multi-million-dollar deception that helped destroy one of America’s oldest art institutions.
Knoedler Gallery Scandal follows Glafira Rosales, Pei-Shen Qian, Ann Freedman, Michael Hammer, fake provenance, lawsuits and the collapse of trust around Knoedler & Company. We explore how collectors were convinced, how forged works entered the market, and why the scandal became one of the most notorious art fraud cases of the century.
This documentary podcast episode uses art scandals, frauds and scams, con artist stories, famous scandals, corporate scandals and what really happened to unpack a world where reputation can be as valuable as paint. Knoedler Gallery Scandal is a story about taste, greed, trust, denial and the expensive fantasy of authenticity.
Resources and Further Reading
Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art by Laney Salisbury
The Art of the Con: The Most Notorious Fakes, Frauds, and Forgeries in the Art World by Anthony M. Amore
"The Great Knoedler Gallery Forgery Scandal" - Vanity Fair article
“Made You Look: A True Story of Fake Art’ Review” - Vanity Fair article
“Made You Look: A True Story About Fake Art” - Documentry
Host & Show Info
Hosts: Kyle Risi & Adam Cox
Intro Music: Alice in dark Wonderland
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Website: thecompendiumpodcast.com
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