German dentist has been accused of trying to present 20 fake Picasso paintings as authenticated works in 2017.
According to the German-language magazine Monopol, the man from Neuss, Germany had presented the paintings, which included fake certificates of authenticity from the Picasso estate, to representatives from several auction houses for review at a hotel in Düsseldorf in January 2017.
He reportedly claimed the handwritten notes on the back of the canvases were from Picasso’s son. The auction houses, which went unnamed in the report, raised suspicions about the authenticity of the works, and authorities were soon contacted, ARTnews reported.
The dentist could now face being charged with the "unauthorized exploitation of copyrighted works" and the use of fake certifications, and he will stand trial at the Düsseldorf District Court on January 28.
