Book Review: “All That Glitters: A Story of Friendship, Fraud and Fine Art” (2024)

By Guest Writer

All That Glitters: A Story of Friendship, Fraud and Fine Art by Orlando Whitfield is a compelling and thoroughly engaging recollection of the author’s former friendship with one of America’s most notorious art fraudsters, Inigo Philbrick. Although written as a memoir, it reads like a modern-day thriller because of the extraordinary behind the scenes details of Philbrick’s dishonorable practices. In addition, this book offers an account of the inner workings of the contemporary art market. This story is less a tale about the love of art and aesthetics, and more a cautionary warning about endless greed that plagues the contemporary art market. Unfortunately, cases such as the Philbrick’s are not anomalies in the industry.^[1]

Background of the Book and Philbrick’s Fraud

All That Glitters was based on a series of documents and saved communication presented to the author by Philbrick. By handing over his documents to someone he considered a friend, perhaps Philbrick was falsely hoping for a flattering or at least decent depiction of his character. Instead, the author showed immense vulnerability and courage and chose to recount his former friend’s story based on facts.