The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has seized a total of 25 Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings from the Orlando Museum of Art as questions of the works’ authenticity were raised.
According to the New York Times, over a dozen FBI agents proceeded with the operation on the morning of June 25. “It is important to note that we still have not been led to believe the museum has been or is the subject of any investigation,” Emilia Bourmas-Fry, a spokeswoman for the Orlando Museum of Art, said in an emailed statement. “We continue to see our involvement purely as a fact witness.”
The 41-page affidavit filed to receive a search warrant raised questions regarding the origins of the collection that were stated by the museum and its owners, adding that “there was reason to doubt the authenticity of the art works.” The unsealed search warrant revealed that the affidavit was issued possibly due to conspiracy and wire fraud, with the FBI’s investigation revealing “attempts to sell the paintings using false provenance, and bank records show possible solicitation of investment in artwork that is not authentic” and “false information related to the alleged prior ownership of the paintings.”
The pieces featured in the “Heroes & Monsters: Jean-Michel Basquiat” exhibition were, as per the museum and owners, found in a storage unit in Los Angeles in 2012. The investigation by the FBI’s Art Crime team is ongoing.
New York City police are on the search for a couple who attempted to steal a Jean-Michel Basquiat screenprint from a Manhattan gallery.
The heist occurred last Saturday, May 14, when a male and female walked into the private viewing room of the Chelsea-based Taglialatella Galleries and proceeded in lifting the framed Dog Leg Study (1982/2019) artwork from the walls. Naturally, the robbers were stopped by a gallery attendant who was surprised at how “brazen” the attempt was. “We’ve had stuff stolen from the gallery before but nothing quite this obvious,” Taglialatella Galleries owner Brian Swarts said in an interview with Hyperallergic. “Luckily my staff is quite attentive and courageous and one of the brave young women who works here literally pulled the piece from the guy’s hand,” Swarts added.
Dog Leg Study (1982/2019) has a current value of $45,000 USD and is not the first theft that has been attempted at Taglialatella. Last year, a KAWS figurine was almost lifted, which Swarts says is typically the type of artwork targeted by thieves. The couple, who was described by the gallery as having an “unknown European accent,” did manage to steal a bottle of Maker’s Mark.
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