The art market has always attracted people who want to make something appear better, or to be something other, than what is actually is. This has not changed, and despite the proliferation in access to prices and other comparable data, there are numerous examples of fakes and forgeries being sold by leading auction houses in the current market. The power imbalance and inherent conflict of interest, with one type of firm attempting to serve two masters, namely auction houses serving both the buyer and the seller, are at the heart of the issue.

This talk focuses on two particular case studies that represent a fake on the one hand and a forgery on the other, that were both sold in London a few years ago and are now in two of the leading art collections in the world and remain on display. Using a range of sources and methodologies, the true story of these deceptive objects will become clear, and they can act as cyphers for numerous other problematic items circulating in the art market today.