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A brush with art fraud

A look at Dorset Trading Standards’ first foray into the murky world of art fraud.

Paul Evans

Posted 15 January 2018 | JoTS Online

Content Tags:  Analysis|Crime|South West

ANALYSIS: An investigation into fake works attributed to Cornish artist Alfred Wallis reveals how forensic examination, inter-authority cooperation and careful analysis of provenance prevented consumers from spending up to £125,000 on forged artwork, while highlighting the importance of due diligence for auction houses.

I had never heard of Alfred Wallis when, in September 2016, Dorset Trading Standards received information from colleagues in Cornwall that suspected fake art by him was on sale in our county. Officers in Cornwall received a tip-off that the Alfred Wallis ‘Perkin Collection’ – being advertised in a painting and furniture fine art sale by an auctioneer in Dorchester – was not the real deal.

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