A Knoedler Aftershock: Freedman sues for Defamation

By Richard A. Altman, Esq., Law Office of Richard A. Altman

For many years, Ann Freedman was the head of Knoedler Gallery, which had a long and celebrated history. In the mid-1990s, Freedman was introduced to Glafira Rosales, an art dealer. Rosales said that she had a collection of around forty previously unknown works by such well-known Abstract Expressionists as Mark Rothko, Robert Motherwell and Barnett Newman. Rosales apparently was selling them on behalf of the son of a collector who had recently died, but who had owned them for decades. The provenance was somewhat murky, but Freedman was excited by the prospect. She called upon her friends and colleagues in the art world to examine the works and provide their opinions as to their authenticity. Their responses were uniformly enthusiastic, if not ecstatic. The experts, many of whom had long careers of intimate familiarity with these masters, were unanimous in their expressions of approval of the works and their quality and authenticity.

Based on this plethora of expert opinions, Knoedler sold the works for Rosales over the next few years to trusting collectors at breathtaking prices. Another Manhattan dealer, Julian Weissman, also sold works for Rosales.  However, beginning in 2011, some of the collectors became suspicious and did forensic testing. The outcome has been devastating to the art world.  It turns out that the artworks are complete fakes, all having been painted in a studio in Queens by a Chinese artist who was apparently paid a few thousand dollars for each one. Knoedler has closed its doors permanently after over 160 years in business. (Read Center for Art Law: Knoedler Under Attack: The Diebenkorn Chapter, and UPDATED: Knoedler & Co: Thanks for ALL the Memories). On September 16, 2013, Rosales, the woman who consigned the paintings to Knoedler, pleaded guilty to federal crimes involving conspiracy and money laundering related to the fake art scheme. Most of the collectors who bought the works have sued Knoedler and Weissman, who have both said repeatedly that they were convinced that the artworks were genuine. The New York Times has reported the stories extensively, saying in one article, “How imitations of the most heralded Abstract Expressionists by a complete unknown could have fooled connoisseurs and clients remains a mystery.”