The 5 biggest unresolved Indian art scams of the decade

Image Courtesy: Economic Times Newspaper

2006: Christies & their partner Vadehra Art Gallery offer fake works at auction

On 30th March 2006, Christies, in consultation with its Indian partner Vadehra Art Gallery of Delhi, withdrew as many as six lots from its SALE 1762 of Modern & Contemporary Indian Art in New York. No explanation whatsoever is available in the public domain explaining why those lots had been published in the catalogue in the first place, thus establishing that an auction house just by virtue of being one of the oldest or largest ones is not necessarily the most reliable ones when it comes to distinguishing between counterfeits and original works. 

As per a report in the Hindustan Times the works, that included two watercolours by MF Husain, three works by FN Souza and a tempera by Ganesh Pyne, also had dubious provenance.

Read More: http://www.hindustantimes.com/nm8/christie-s-drops-fake-indian-art/article1-81785.aspx

In the past also Christies have been caught in similar controversies –

1998 - two of Ajoy Ghose's award winning Chaitanya paintings were listed in Christies catalogue as Nandalal Bose's. Ghose's signature had been replaced with a scrawl that read Nando. Their sale, at Rs 3.64 lakh each, was revoked later.
Source: Hall of fakes – India Today, 21 Feb 2000 

2001 - a Manjit Bawa was withdrawn from the Christies auction after the artist informed the auction house that he had nothing to do with the painting and that his signature appearing at the right-hand bottom corner was forged.
Source:
1. Mystery of the fake Bawa – Tribune, 14 Jan 2001 
2. Two Coats of Paint: Welcome to the dark world of art fakes – Indian Express, 6 July 2014 

2009: Saffronart and Osians under Income Tax Dept scanner

Rigging Auctions?

An investigation into the business practices of Osians and Saffronart had revealed several irregularities in their account books, including a possible attempt to rig the price of artworks and dupe investors, according to an income-tax (I-T) department official involved in the probe.
Saffronart was also charged for carrying out numerous cash transactions.
While Neville Tuli and the already beleaguered auction house Osians have been declared defaulters as recently as 11th March 2015 by IDBI bank, it would be in the interest of the art collectors if Saffronart can throw light on what was the final outcome of these investigations.

Inspite these investigations Saffronart continues to offer works at such low prices as evident from its upcoming auction of Modern & Contemporary Art on 12-13 May 2015  wherein a work by S H Raza (lot 21, titled ATMARAS) estimated at Rs 80 Lakhs - Rs 1 crore is available for an unseemly low starting bid of Rs 1,550 – Are there actually such gullible sellers who would be willing to even consider giving away such works at such prices or is it not a a way of misleading prospective bidders? Therefore, it is not a surprise that the IT department accused Saffronart of rigging the price of artworks during its raid in 2009.

Read more: http://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/sz8y3xIQRg5D4VMmLPAl6H/Premier-art-houses-under-IT-scanner.html

Related Links:

TheWorst Kept Secret: Open Magazine, 5 Dec 2009 

NevilleTuli, Osian's Connoisseurs declared as defaulters by IDBI Bank: 11 March 2015 

2009: Fake Raza's at Dhoomimal Art Gallery

The discovery of Raza fakes in January 2009 at Dhoomimal Art Gallery in Delhi, at a show the artist himself visited, sent the art fraternity in a shock as the event was hosted by his nephew and at a gallery with whom he has had a relationship for several years.

The following quote from Dr. Alka Raghuvanshi in an article in The Asian Age on 9th April 2015 sums up the fact that this controversy has still not died down "A case in point being S.H. Raza’s show at Dhoomimal’s where he had declared that each one of those works hanging there were fake. Why would an old gallery with a reputation to protect hold a show of fakes and invite the artist himself to inaugurate the show is an unresolved point. Incidentally his market crashed soon after when galleries were approached to buy back stuff painted by him".

An important point to reiterate here is that family members cannot and should not be thought of as qualified authenticators of their kin's art. The more worrying aspect is that the gallery owners authenticated the work solely basis the provenance and not on the merits of the work when many experts claimed that the works were not even well rendered fakes. However, it would be even more disturbing if the following information published in the Economic Times on 30 Nov 2014 is to be believed “Art industry insiders suggest that Raza, who will turn 93 in February, is in indifferent health and a lot of assistants who are artists are working in his studio to produce paintings that should not be signed by Raza as his own”.

Related Links:

Painter finds fakes at art show 

Artworld rocked by fake Raza show in Delhi gallery 

2011: Tagore - Fake or Not?

An entire exhibition of Tagore paintings by the Government College of Art was alleged to be fake. The principal of the college Dipali Bhattacharya was suspended a month before her retirement in the wake of the controversy and the matter landed up with the State Crime Investigation Department and the courts. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) was asked to comment on the authenticity of the paintings and they filed a report stating that these were not original Tagores.  (Source: 30 Nov 2014, Economic Times)

However, the Government Art College, stood its ground. In a statement, Dipali Bhattacharya wrote: “On behalf of the organising committee of the Tagore Show, I can only express my shock, disappointment and disgust at such an irresponsible statement made by someone [referring to Pranabranjan Roy] who has neither cared to personally inspect the exhibits nor cared to put them through any established method to verify their authenticity. The Government College of Art and Craft is proud to host the Tagore Show and dismisses such comments with the contempt that they deserve.” (Source: The Telegraph, 2 March 2011)

As per an article published in Economic Times on 30 Nov 2014, the matter is still in the courts. It remains to be seen whether R. Siva Kumar and Susobhan Adhikary, teachers at Kala Bhavan Viswa-Bharati University and also the whistleblowers of this matter, are found guilty of conspiracy or is it Dipali Bhattacharya who is to be held accountable.

Read More: http://www.telegraphindia.com/1110302/jsp/calcutta/story_13655903.jsp

2014: Sex, Lies and Art Theft: How Sheetal faked a Rs 100 crore heist

This is easily as big a counterfeit controversy as others and came to light after approximately 2.5 years of botched up conspiracy theories and half-baked investigations. The works forged were by Manjit Bawa, V S Gaitonde and others and had been restored for Sheetal Mafatlal by Pundoles Art Gallery & Auction House. Like a bollywood potboiler this tale of deceit involved many bizarre twists and unbelievable turns. 

Read More: http://mumbaiwalla.com/sheetal-mafatlal-art-faking-inside-story/

Related Links:
Mafatlal firm owns 5 paintings that Sheetal replaced with fakes: 9 March 2015, Times of India

Art authentication gun to owner’s head

Last evening at an informal gathering of artists and a few rasikas the conversation veered towards art and its authentication. Figures in lakhs were bandied about which artist’s family or foundation or gallery is charging how much to authenticate works of specific artists. That it was a pittance as compared to the actual cost of the works might well be true, but what about those who were getting the paper work in order not necessarily for commercial reasons.

Whatever the notional value of a painting, if it was acquired or presented years ago when it was not the norm to get authentications in place, owners have to spend huge amounts to get the papers now. More so if they or their subsequent owners ever plan to sell them or put them up in an auction, the paperwork is deemed imperative.

I am personally aware of many instances when a senior artist’s daughter is approached for authenticating works that were painted when she was not even born! She takes the smart way out and flatly refuses to issue any certificates, citing that she is in no intellectual or artistic position to certify the works she has not seen her father paint. When this cuts no ice, his former girlfriend is approached and she reportedly charges up to Rs 5 lakh for giving out the certificates. What kind of weight such an authentication carries in the art market is anybody’s guess. To me it is not worth even the paper it is printed on.

Similar is the case with another senior and highly prolific artist whose youngest daughter, who was his sporadic companion only in the last decade of his life, insists that she is the only person who can issue authentication certificates. Not even her other siblings. That he was hardly living with his wife and children for most part of his life is a fact that is conveniently overlooked by most people.

Another gallery which used to deal in his works too has taken on the mantle of issuing authentication certificates. They hold to ransom the veracity of even those works not directly bought from their gallery. Apart from charging whopping amounts for the certification, has grown the muscle flexing that goes with art authentications that is more like an institutionalised and legitimate gun being held to the owner’s head: Authentication from me or else I will declare your work a fake.  

What does a buyer do when confronted with a situation when an artist wants to distance himself or herself from earlier works? 

A case in point being S.H. Raza’s show at Dhoomimal’s where he had declared that each one of those works hanging there were fake. Why would an old gallery with a reputation to protect hold a show of fakes and invite the artist himself to inaugurate the show is an unresolved point. Incidentally his market crashed soon after when galleries were approached to buy back stuff painted by him.

How about works of artists who have juniors working for them who do the works and the senior artist only just about signs the work? Will subsequent generations remember that there were junior ateliers who were the real painters? Or is an artist’s authenticating his junior’s work by signing on that canvas good enough? 

In the last few years, along with the exponential growth of art prices, unexpectedly has grown a market of and for fakes, and what differentiates a real from a good fake is that crucial certification of authentication. Little realising that art was bought and sold even before the authentication trend and that cannot be the way to hold the art market to ransom.

I have been speaking to several artists, curators, critics and art management gurus about it and have put together a list of suggestions wherein the art owners, buyers and auctioneers will not be at the receiving end of a few self-styled authentication types — be it galleries, family and progeny of artists. Read about it next week.

Dr Alka Raghuvanshi is an art writer, curator and artist and can be contacted on alkaraghuvanshi @yahoo.com

(Source: The Asian Age, 9 April 2015)

"Not a single work was a fake"

Maher Dadha, CMD of Bid & Hammer, clears the air on the controversial allegations of counterfeits by business rivals that hit the firm’s last auction in Delhi (excerpt from interview to PTI):

In retrospect was it imprudent to have gone ahead with the auction of 'Significant Indian Art' in Delhi last year, despite allegations of counterfeits in the collection?

Not at all. On the contrary it showed the true mettle and credibility of our team who had the confidence to stand by their assessment of the authenticity of the artworks. Also, the participation of the known and serious art collectors at the auction reaffirmed our decision was right.

The truth was that the majority of those who claimed the art works were fake were no experts. Those who apparently had made unverified guesses at the behest of some rivals wanted to stop the auction at any cost and tarnish our goodwill. A case in point is ‘Delhi Art Gallery’ posting 'defamatory material' on its Facebook page and 'orchestrating rumours'. At our last paintings auction in Delhi, their insecurity came through by the following statement to a newspaper “Bangalore-based Bid & Hammer's attempt to grab a bite of the lucrative Delhi market has been viewed with something akin to suspicion”.

The auction was widely publicised and the catalogue was out months in advance but none of the critics had attended the preview, inspected the documents or clarified their apprehensions with Bid & Hammer’s experts thus raising questions about the legitimacy of their concerns. The fact that most of the allegations were made via the media and on the day of the auction is further evidence of propaganda. Genuine works cannot and should not be simply brandished as fakes by malafide and untenable allegations.

Many auction houses risk discovering fake works - whether it is a Bowring's, a Christies or a Sothebys, your take on this with respect to your auction?

Is there any proof that even a single work was a fake? All the works were authentic. If there had been compelling evidence we would have had no hesitation in accepting our mistake and removing them from auction instead of going in for a public undressing that too in my family's 100th year of enterprise.

What is your opinion on calls for a regulatory body to check fake art?

Very few people in the art market in India today can claim to have a spotless image or the capacity to walk the talk as authenticators. Most have an agenda to earn fame and money even if it entails manipulating the market directly or indirectly.

As such, tainted members already associated with art cartels are the ones who will most likely find their way on such regulatory bodies. Thus we are not in favour of it unless a broad consensus acceptable to each and every fraternity member is arrived at.

What are the best ways of authenticating an art work – authenticating organisations or artist foundations?

There are certain principles and basic procedures that need to be followed to determine whether a work is genuine or questionable.

In the west, authenticating organisations or regulatory bodies or artist foundations have been established and disbanded time and again as they have been found floundering and self-serving more than anything else. Even in India, the talk of regulatory bodies has never taken off because of the vested interest of the people who espouse it.

Artist foundations, run primarily by family members of late artists, are also viewed with suspicion because it is common knowledge that just by virtue of being a family member a person cannot claim art expertise.

Can you comment on the criticism of Susobhan Adhikary, museum curator of Viswa Bharati, questioning a Rabindranath Tagore's artwork at the auction last year?

No expert of standing makes an affirmative comment without inspecting a work and accompanying provenance documents, more so, when another expert of equal, if not greater repute, has vetted the work. Prof Ratan Parimoo who is an authority authenticated our work.

What are the future plans of Bid & Hammer?

We will continue to offer a wide range of rare, exquisite and quality art, antiques, jewellery and collectibles through our auctions. The auction schedule will be announced shortly.

Do you have plans to make Delhi the main base for Bid & Hammer?

We would soon have a representative office in Delhi and by the time of our next auction to be held there we will be on course to making the capital the hub of our paintings and decorative art auctions.

Related Posts:

1. Not a single work was a fake: Bid & Hammer | Economic Times | 1st April 2015 
2. Not a single work was a fake: Bid & Hammer | The Echo of India | 1st April 2015

3. Due diligence for all works put on sale: Bid & Hammer | Business Standard | 22nd March 2015
4. Regulatory body to tackle fake art untenable: Bid & Hammer | Business Standard | 24th Jan 2015

Saffronart to conduct its first live auction in Bangalore

Email from Saffronart:

We are expanding base with our inaugural auction in Bangalore, one of India’s largest cosmopolitan cities. Unlike our previous auctions, The Discerning Eye: Important Furniture, Jewellery, and Works of Art one features a mix of Modern, Contemporary, folk and tribal art, vintage interiors and mid-century furniture, and jewellery inspired by Indian and international designs. 

Keep an eye out for artists such as Jangarh Singh and Baua Devi, famed for their intricate works resonating with the traditions of India's traditional arts; works by Modernists including M. F. Husain, S. H. Raza, F. N. Souza and Jogen Chowdhury; furniture inspired by 19th and 20th century designs and the clean, functional forms of post-war Europe; jewellery set with pearls, rubies, emeralds, tanzanite and diamonds, and much more.

Viewings and Live Auction:

Wednesday, April 15, 2015 

Viewing: 11:00 am till auction start

Registration: 6:30 p.m. onwards

Auction: 7:30 p.m. onwards

ABOUT SAFFRONART:

A global company with deep Indian roots, Saffronart was founded in 2000 on the strength of a private passion. Remaining committed to this passion and personal values, today Saffronart is a strong and successful international auction house that both embraces and drives change.

A platform for fine art and collectibles with over fourteen years of experience in auctions, Saffronart is committed to serving the growing community of Indian collectors, while also creating a cultural bridge to India for both the global Indian diaspora and the international community at large. Saffronart has set several global benchmarks for online auctions and is the subject of a case study at Harvard Business School.

Saffronart has held several highly successful online and live auctions, accompanied by physical catalogues and preview events in cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, New York, London, Singapore and Hong Kong. These auctions allow bidders around the world to participate simultaneously in exciting sales. In October 2008, Saffronart extended its unique online auction platform beyond fine-art to host its inaugural sale of Fine Jewels and Watches, adding a new dimension to its market presence. Since December 2011, Saffronart has offered Indian antiquities including sculptures, artefacts and miniature paintings on its auction platform, in auctions conducted by Collectibles Antiques India Private Limited. In 2012, Saffronart held its inaugural auctions of Modern & Impressionist Art, Carpets & Rugs, Folk & Tribal Art, Art Deco and the Art of Pakistan, followed by its first Travel & Leisure auction in 2013.