Fakers and Forgers, Deception and Dishonesty: An Exploration of the Murky World of Art Fraud

This article examines the problem of fraud in the contemporary art market. It addresses two major cases where persons have been convicted of art fraud in recent years in Australia, examining the legal context within which the prosecutions took place. It then examines problems in common terms such as 'forgery' and 'fakery'. The final sections review the different ways that issues of authenticity in art are addressed in possible cases of art fraud, and examines the question of why so little art fraud comes to the attention of the criminal justice system.