A recent federal court ruling in Illinois has brought closure to a bizarre legal battle involving Scottish artist Peter Doig. The dispute dates back to 2013 when a Chicago art dealer, Peter Bartlow, and former corrections officer Robert Fletcher claimed ownership of a desert landscape painting attributed to Doig. The painting, dated 1976 and signed “Pete Doige,” was purchased by Fletcher for $100 from an inmate at the Thunder Bay Correctional Center in Ontario, Canada.
The saga took a Shakespearean turn when Doig denied creating the artwork, leading to a series of legal proceedings. In 2011, Fletcher contacted Bartlow after a friend suggested that the painting could be worth millions if authenticated as a Doig original. However, when Bartlow reached out to Doig’s gallery for authentication, the artist’s representatives denied his involvement in creating the piece.
Despite mounting evidence proving Doig’s innocence, Fletcher and Bartlow’s lawyer, William Zieske, continued to pursue the case. In 2016, a ruling confirmed that the painting was not created by Doig but by an individual named Peter Doige. Doig’s legal team uncovered records showing that Doige, not Doig, had been incarcerated at the same facility where Fletcher worked.
Following the ruling, Doig sought sanctions against Fletcher and his co-plaintiffs for frivolous and bad faith handling of the case. In July, a $2.5 million sanction, including attorneys’ fees, was imposed on Fletcher by the United States Court of Appeals. Doig has expressed his intention to donate the award to a nonprofit organization that supports art opportunities for incarcerated individuals.
The resolution of this long-standing legal dispute highlights the importance of thorough research and due diligence in art authentication. It also serves as a cautionary tale for art collectors and dealers to verify the provenance of artworks before making claims of authorship. The case has shed light on the complexities of the art world and the need for transparency and integrity in all transactions.
