Phony...... at Real Prices

One block from the Plaza de la Constitucion is a quaint old style art gallery with works from early florida artists and a smattering of European artists. There is not much on the walls that would be considered "modern art" ( an overused term ).

I was walking past the gallery window the other day and something caught my eye. Two small Picasso like works on paper were hanging together. Going into the gallery an attractive Russian accented salesperson told me that these were original Picasso lithographs. I am familiar with these works since I dealt in them almost twenty years ago. A document was affixed on the back stating that this was an original Picasso print. The document was from a California company called Art Brokers Incorporated or something like that. Price $5000.000 for each one

Now..........I gotta tell you

#1 These works were NOT original Picasso prints.

#2 The Picasso signature is printed onto the paper

#3 The certificate of authenticity was not from Picasso's publisher

#4 The works are most likely from either granddaughter Marina
Picasso's money grabbing release of offset lithos in the 70's or
another unauthorized pirated publication ( one print was printed
backward to simulate a print from a litho stone)

#5 Current Market value ....$50 to $100 (ebay notwithstanding)

$5000 dollars? That must be some frame on these things. I consider even the market price too much for a machine made reproduction. (just like a magazine copy)

Consumers beware !.........nice chandeliers and high rent does not guarantee that the art dealer is scrupulous in how he describes his goods. In this case I'm fairly certain the dealer knows full well what he is selling. If not..............do not hold yourself out as an expert and take a class through Christies or even a printmaking class at the Art Center. You are offering sidewalk slugs as escargot.