IRS Forensic Investigations, an Orange Grove-based company specialising in investigating financial crime, has warned community members against buying fake artwork.
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Senior investigator at the company, Andre van Wyk said the company recently investigated a case where a client, Dr Alison Norton, bought an apparent Walter Battiss painting for R25 000 from a decor and auctioneering business who wished to remain anonymous.
“When Dr Norton took the painting to Sotheby’s for a valuation it was found during the assessment that the painting was fake. It was then taken back to the dealer and, without an argument, he paid back the R25 000 in a few instalments after our intervention,” said Van Wyk.
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He stated that the dealer who had sold the artwork to Norton, who was a long time and frequent customer, had signed a credit note to acknowledge the pending refund and noted that the art was not what it was purported to be.
According to Van Wyk, the dealer has since closed down the shop.
Director of IRS Forensic Investigations, Chad Thomas, said buyers of art need to check whether the art is counterfeit or whether the art is stolen. “If you want to check the authenticity of art, then take it to a well-known auction house that employs experts such as Christies, Sotheby’s or Stephen Weltz,” advised Thomas.
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“There is a database for stolen art in South Africa that anyone can access at www.artinsure.co.za/art-theft-register.”
