Officials in France and Spain have made a significant arrest in the world of art dealing. A man in his 40s was apprehended for attempting to sell a fake Leonardo da Vinci painting, claiming it was worth nearly $1.5 million. This arrest comes after a two-year investigation that culminated in the interception of the counterfeit artwork by French customs officers at the Modane border in 2022.
The suspicion arose due to discrepancies in the paperwork provided by the art dealer. In Spain, any artwork older than 100 years requires an export license. While the man possessed a license for the painting—a portrait of Italian military commander Gian Giacomo Trivulzio—valued at €1.3 million, the license had expired several months prior. This led authorities to believe that the man was engaging in smuggling by transporting the painting illegally.
The artwork was confiscated and sent to the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid for further analysis. Experts at the museum determined that the painting was a fraudulent imitation of Milanese portraits from the late 15th and early 16th centuries, not the work of Leonardo da Vinci or his contemporaries. The piece was estimated to be worth between $3,200 and $5,400, a far cry from the $1.4 million claimed by the art dealer.
Following the analysis, the Spanish police arrested the art dealer in Madrid. The whereabouts of the fake Leonardo painting have not been disclosed, but it is a relief that it did not end up in the hands of a buyer who would have been significantly poorer with a forgery on their wall.
This case serves as a reminder that an export license does not guarantee the authenticity of a work of art. It is essential for buyers and sellers to exercise caution and conduct thorough research before investing in valuable pieces. Hopefully, this arrest will deter others from attempting to deceive art enthusiasts with counterfeit works in the future.
