Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Generalitat Police seize 41 forged artworks intended for Valencia auction

Expert analysis by multiple cultural foundations confirmed the paintings were counterfeit, triggering fraud and intellectual property investigations of the owner.

Image
Image

Overview

  • Policía de la Generalitat recovered 41 counterfeit paintings attributed to masters such as Andy Warhol, Joaquín Sorolla and Salvador Dalí with a combined auction reserve exceeding €1.2 million.
  • Fourteen fake Warhol pieces made up nearly €893,000 of the total value, including a forged Mao Zedong portrait set at a €500,000 starting price.
  • Investigators uncovered forged signatures and bogus certificates of authenticity on all pieces that were consigned to a Valencian auction house.
  • Specialists from the Gala-Salvador Dalí, Antonio Saura and Zuloaga foundations along with museum experts authenticated the works as fakes.
  • The owner has been named as an investigado in a probe for fraud and intellectual property crimes but remains free and has not been detained.