Atmospheric night sky in blue, yellow and dark green. To the untrained eye, it can look like a Munch painting. – Munch would never have painted such a mountain and the wood is painted far too compact, says conservator Eva Furuseth. For news’s broadcaster, it is not as obvious that it is not Munch who is behind it. – I have realized how easy it is to be deceived, says Furuseth. The painting is not an imitation of a specific Munch painting. Rather, the forger has tried to imitate Munch’s way of measuring. Photo: Fanny Feragen Solheim / news Tried sold for two million The painting Furuseth shows is part of the exhibition of fake art at the Justice Museum in Trondheim. The Munch imitation was once tried to be sold for two million, says Furuseth. – Those who considered taking up the offer sensed owls in the bog and went to the Munch Museum. There they could confirm that the picture was not painted by the famous painter. – An expert immediately sees that it is a forgery, says Furuseth. For conservator Eva Furuseth, it is a narrow matter to reveal that the painting is not genuine. Photo: Fanny Feragen Solheim / news Easy to be fooled – We see it quite often. Especially when it comes to modern art, we see an increase in forgeries, says Knut Forsberg, day-to-day manager of Blomqvist auction house. He says that if you buy art from a gallery or auction house, you can probably be sure that the picture you get is genuine. He is more skeptical about online shops and private markets such as Finn.no. – Finn.no is probably the biggest channel for selling fake and stolen art. – If you buy art there, you should know what you are doing. The fake painting was titled “Winternight”. Munch’s signature was also attempted to be imitated. Photo: Fanny Feragen Solheim / news Forsberg says there are a lot of fakes on Finn.no. Many people can sell fake art in good faith – without even knowing that the paintings are fake. – Maybe they have inherited some pictures and put them on display without knowing that they are fake. At the same time, he believes that not all cases are equally innocent. – There are also pure fraudsters there. Forsberg encourages you to use serious channels if you have no knowledge of art. – Buy in serious channels. Go to a gallery or an auction house. Then you are much safer. The Munch painting “Pine trees and flowering fruit trees” was also attempted to be faked. The forgery dates from 1949. The forger was sentenced to nine months in prison for gross fraud. The original Munch painting. Edvard Munch, Pine Trees and Flowering Fruit Trees (1911). Encourages healthy skepticism Kenneth Didriksen is a police chief in Økokrim. He specializes in art crime and believes that forgery of art is more common than we think. – There is probably a lot of fake art on the walls around. Even if the Munch forgery for two million is great, he does not think this is the typical forgery in Norway. – Art crime in Norway has previously dealt with theft or forgeries of Munch. That is probably only the tip of the iceberg. Didriksen believes that most forgeries rather happen in a middle class where the price is lower and the artist is less known. – Art that is so cheap that people lower their “guard” a little and where the artist is not that well known is much easier to sell. He points out that many people in Norway have a great ability to pay and willingness to pay. Especially online, he thinks people can be too quick to pounce on what appear to be good offers. – People should have a healthy skepticism. If you buy expensive art, you should see the artwork with your own eyes and investigate who previously owned the painting shop. – If the picture is very expensive, you should perhaps also contact someone who has a good understanding of art to assess whether it is genuine. Report counterfeits to the police – It is the advertiser’s responsibility that what they sell is genuine and that the rules for advertising are followed, says Geir Petter Gjefsen, director of consumer safety and security at Finn. He says the department for consumer rights equality carries out investigations of sellers and objects that are sold if they have reason to suspect. – This includes, among other things, control of advertisements, control of messages and dialogue with users. – If we uncover attempted or completed trade in counterfeit art, the seller will be banned from Finn. We also cooperate with the police in cases where something criminal has occurred. Published 08.07.2024, at 21.14
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The Justice Museum in Trondheim exhibits fake art – news Trøndelag – Local news, TV and radio
