The Library
Below is a list of books and journals that the Center for Art Law compiles in our quest to keep track of the art law publications and relevant scholarship.
If you are working on a new title, or your book is already out, and you would like to have it included in the Repository, please send us information about it (Title, Author/Editor(s), Date of Publication; ISBN, short summary, link to your publisher/distributor).
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The Art of Status: Looted Treasures and the Global Politics of Restitution
An illuminating exploration of the relationship between the restitution of looted art, global status, and the international construction of national cultural heritage.
Why is art restitution a matter of politics? How does the artwork displayed in national museums reflect the international status of the state that owns it? Why do some states agree to return looted art and others resist?
National art collections have long been a way for states to compete with each other for status, prestige, and cultural worth in international society. In many former imperial nations, however, these collections include art looted during imperial expansions and colonial occupations. While this was once a sign of high international standing, the markers of such status, particularly in the context of art, have since significantly changed. A new international legal and normative architecture governing art provenance developed after World War II and became institutionalized in the 1990s and 2000s. Since then, there have been national and global social movements demanding the return of looted art. This shift has established not only that looting is wrong but, more importantly, that restitution is morally right. As a result of this reframing of what it means to own art, an artifact’s historical provenance has become a core element of its value and the search for provenance and demands for restitution a direct threat to state status. The same objects that granted states high international status now threaten to provoke status decline.
In The Art of Status, Jelena Subotic examines this relationship between the restitution of looted art and international status, with a focus on the Parthenon (‘Elgin’) Marbles, the Benin Bronzes, and a collection of paintings looted during the Holocaust that are now housed at the Serbian National Museum. Subotic tells the story of these artworks, how they were looted, how they ended up on display in national museums, and how the art restitution disputes have unfolded. While these cases are different in terms of their historical context of looting and ownership claims, the movements for their restitution, and resistance to it, illustrate the larger questions of how national cultural heritage is internationally constructed and how it serves states’ desire for international status and prestige.
An in-depth and nuanced account of art restitution disputes, The Art of Status illuminates the shifting political significance of art on the international stage, from ownership to restitution.
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Looted Art & Restitution: The Exodus and Partial Return of Dutch Art Property During and After World War II
Looted Art & Restitution relates the history of the trade, looting and restitution of works of art from the Netherlands before, during and after World War II. Countless artworks ended up in German hands during the occupation. The allies recovered a large number of works of art to the Netherlands after the war. It was the Dutch government’s task to return looted or forcibly sold works to their original owners. The mostly Jewish claimants, however, often encountered bureaucratic and unwilling authorities. Meanwhile, most of the artworks were distributed over museums and depots or auctioned off.
It was not until the late 1990s that, in accordance with international developments, the restitution policy became much more humane and a search for the rightful owners was implemented.
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The Many Faces of Art Forgery: From the Dark Side to Shades of Grey
Forgery is a provocative presence in the art world that captures attention in the press and inspires books about the exploits of famous fraudsters as well as scholarly articles and monographs. But missing until now has been a big-picture look at the phenomenon of art forgery. The Many Faces of Art Forgery provides a uniquetreatment that features historical highlights, philosophical insights, psychological profiles, economic theories, and legal statutes and cases.
Key features include:
The story of art forgery from antiquity to the present, including 80 named forgers, the tricks of their trade, and the social forces that ensure the existence of their enterprise.How scientific analysis is both effective and limited in exposing art fakes.Multiple definitions for the term “forgery” as applied to art.The effect on authenticity in legal terms, philosophical terms, and public opinion when an artwork undergoes extensive restoration, or artists hire surrogates to make their works, or they appropriate images from otherartists or styles from indigenous cultures.Forgers’ mentalities: their motivations, rationalizations, and strategies.The ethics of art forgery: from criminality to esteem for fooling experts.The possibility and aesthetic worth of a “perfect fake.”In all, readers will understand the substantial place forgery occupies in the realm of art, as well as that what constitutes authentic versus inauthentic is not always clear-cut, nor are legal and moral judgments about forgery. In conveying this message, the author provides a wealth of information in an accessible and engaging style suitable for experts and general readers alike.
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Art Thieves, Fakers & Fraudsters: The New Zealand Story
Uncover the shocking truth behind New Zealand’s art heists, forgeries, and scandals.
Delve into the dark underbelly of the New Zealand art world with Penelope Jackson’s Art Thieves, Fakers & Fraudsters. This gripping exposé reveals the untold stories of stolen masterpieces, audacious forgeries, and elaborate scams that have rocked the nation’s art scene.
From the theft of Colin McCahon’s iconic Urewera Mural to the cunning Goldie forgeries that fooled experts, Jackson uncovers a world of intrigue, deception, and high-stakes crime. Explore the motives of the perpetrators, the vulnerabilities of art institutions, and the challenges of protecting New Zealand’s cultural heritage. Perfect for art enthusiasts, true crime aficionados, and anyone fascinated by the hidden side of the art world.
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Priceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World’s Stolen Treasures
In Priceless, Robert K. Wittman, the founder of the FBI’s Art Crime Team, pulls back the curtain on his remarkable career for the first time, offering a real-life international thriller to rival The Thomas Crown Affair.
Rising from humble roots as the son of an antique dealer, Wittman built a twenty-year career that was nothing short of extraordinary. He went undercover, usually unarmed, to catch art thieves, scammers, and black market traders in Paris and Philadelphia, Rio and Santa Fe, Miami and Madrid.
In this page-turning memoir, Wittman fascinates with the stories behind his recoveries of priceless art and antiquities: The golden armor of an ancient Peruvian warrior king. The Rodin sculpture that inspired the Impressionist movement. The headdress Geronimo wore at his final Pow-Wow. The rare Civil War battle flag carried into battle by one of the nation’s first African-American regiments.
The breadth of Wittman’s exploits is unmatched: He traveled the world to rescue paintings by Rockwell and Rembrandt, Pissarro, Monet and Picasso, often working undercover overseas at the whim of foreign governments. Closer to home, he recovered an original copy of the Bill of Rights and cracked the scam that rocked the PBS series Antiques Roadshow.
By the FBI’s accounting, Wittman saved hundreds of millions of dollars worth of art and antiquities. He says the statistic isn’t important. After all, who’s to say what is worth more –a Rembrandt self-portrait or an American flag carried into battle? They’re both priceless.
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Books Reviews
The Mendelsohn Case: Implications for Future Restitution
Case Review: Bennigson v. Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation
Case Review: The Modigliani Forgery Epidemic Strikes Again?
Perelman’s Art Damage Case Continued to Burn Through Court Last Week
Case Review Update: Thaler v. Perlmutter (2025)
Case Review: Hayden v. Koons (2025)
Case Review: Ravensburger v. Italian Ministry of Culture (LG Stuttgart, Judgment of 14.03.2024 – 17 O…
Case Review: Getty v. Italy (2024)
Case Review: Farmer-Paellmann v Smithsonian Inst.
Case Review: Kerson v. Vermont Law School, Inc.
Matters of Baldessari: Estate of the Artist Finds Itself on Both Sides of Litigation
Case Review: Hermès International v. Rothschild
“Shhhhhh”: Kat Von D and Tattoo Fan Art – Sedlik v. Von Drachenberg (2021)
Case Review: RF and Bulatov v. Tsvetkova and other charges against an artist
Appropriation or Art? Court Orders Richard Prince to Pay Damages in Highly Anticipated Copyright Lawsuit
AI and Artists’ IP: Exploring Copyright Infringement Allegations in Andersen v. Stability AI Ltd.
Diversity-Fraud: Accent Delight v. Sotheby’s
Case Review: Reif, et al. v. The Art Institute of Chicago (2023)
Case Review: Thaler v. Perlmutter (2023)
Case Review: The Barnes Foundation can now loan art (2023)
Case Review: Free Holdings v. McCoy and Sotheby’s (2023)
Protection of Cultural Icons: Implications of the Galleria dell’Accademia v. Edizioni Conde Nast Decision
Case Review: Yuga Labs, Inc. v. Ripps, et al., 2:22-cv-04355 (C.D. Cal. April 21, 2023)
Copyright Registration for AI Generated Works: Zarya of the Dawn and the Dawn of a New…
Langford and the Pandora Papers: The Flaws Uncovered in the Art World
Case Review: Roberts v. Richard Beavers Gallery et al (2022) – on Artistic Tradition and Copyright…
Case Review: The Prosecutor v. Ahmad Al Faqi Al Mahdi
Degrees of Transformation: Andy Warhol’s 102 minutes of fame before the Supreme Court
Case Review: US v. Philbrick (2022)
Case Review: Art Works, Inc. v. Diana Al-Hadid
Appropriation Art on Trial: Oral Arguments before the Supreme Court in Warhol v. Goldsmith
Case Review: Cassirer et. al. v. Thyssen Bornemisza Collection Foundation (2022)
Legacy and Lawsuits: An Overview of the Robert Indiana Estate Court Battles
A Case of Forgeries at the Herbert Hoover
Case Review: Republic of Turkey v. Christie’s Inc. (2021)
Case Review: Lanier v. Harvard (2021)
Subhash Kapoor: A Decade in Review
Case Review: German Advisory Commission’s Recommendation in Rieger v. City of Cologne (2021)
Case Review: Distorted Image, Secret Dealings, and New York Artists Authorship Act (2020-2021)
A Blow to Pop Art: Case Review of Warhol v. Goldsmith (2021)
Case Review: Federal Republic of Germany v. Philipp (2021)
Oklahoma to France and Back Again? A Case of Split-Custody of Nazi-Looted Art
Case Review: Rock’n’Roll, Museums, and Copyright Law (2020)
Making a Case for the CASE Act
Case Review: A Last Laugh from Frans Hals (UK)
Case Review: Abbott Labs v. Feinberg (2020)
Case Review: René Gimpel’s Heirs Fight for Restitution by French Museums (2020)
Case Review: U.S. v. Righter (FL/CA, 2020)
Book Review: “A Philosophy Guide to Street Art and the Law” (2018)
Case Review: Meaders v. Helwaser (2020)
Case Review: Barnet et al v. Ministry of Culture and Sports of the Hellenic Republic (2020)
Remembering Modigliani: Italy’s Ongoing Battle against Forgery
Case Review: Is There HOPE for the Estate of Robert Indiana?
Case Review: Allen v. Cooper (2020)
Case Review: Republic of Turkey v. Christie’s
Case Review of the 5Pointz Appeal: Castillo et al. v. G&M Realty L.P. (2020)
Case Review: The Mayor Gallery v. Agnes Martin Catalogue Raisonné
Two for the Price of One: Recent US Legal Developments in Nazi-Looted Art
Case Review: Takeaways from Mary Boone’s Day in Court
Case Review: Cassirer v. Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection Foundation
Case Review: de Csepel v. Republic of Hungary
Case Review: Warhol v. Goldsmith
Case Review: Droit de suite… not so sweet
Case Review: Sotheby’s v. Greece
May Flash: Basqui-what?
Around the Block Ruling in 5Pointz
Blockage Discounts and Artists’ Estates: The De Kooning Post-Mortem
Rights: Investigating and Prosecuting Kleptocracy in Malaysia
The Making of the Moral Rights Case: The Factual and Legal Background of the 5Pointz Trial
Case Review: Maestracci v. Helly Nahmad Gallery Inc. (2014)
Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow: Covenants Not to Compete Between Auction Houses
Suing Cargo Largo, Pak Mail and UPS in Florida for Art Theft
Case Preview: Andy Warhol Foundation v. Bugarin
Case Review: Christie’s v. Jombihis
Case Review: Rauschenberg Estate Saga of Trust and Fees Explained, Again
Case Review: Galin v. Kunitake Hamada (2015), or Legal Storm over “Ice Storm”
Case Review: Foster v. Svenson (2015)
Case Review: Rybolovlev v. Bouvier
Case Review: Red Rothko Suit, a.k.a. Hoffman v. L&M Arts (TX)
Rockwell-not Case Review: Knispel v. Gallery 63 Antiques
Case Review: David Toren v. Federal Republic of Germany and Free State of Bavaria – Task…
Rauschenberg Estate Saga of Trust and Fees Explained
Case Review: Crile v. Commission of Internal Revenue
Case Review: United States v. Twenty-Nine Pre-Columbian and Colonial Artifacts, From Peru
Case Review: Karlsson v. Mangan
Case Review: US v. Mask of Ka-Nefer-Nefer (8th Cir.)
Case Review: Frank Kolodny v. James Meyer, Fred Dorfman, and Dorfman Projects LLC (May 2014)
Case Review: Schoeps v. Free State of Bavaria (June. 2014)
Case Review: Scher v. Stendhal Gallery, Inc., et al.
Case Review: Caterbetti v. Bloomgarden, et al
Basquiat sightings, or Case Review: Heriveaux v. Christies, Inc.
Case Review: Bilinski v. the Keith Haring Foundation
Libel by Fiction: Greene v. Paramount Pictures Corporation
Case Review: Photographer v. Artist (2013)
Calder Estate Fraud Claim Dismissed: Judge Finds Allegations “An Incoherent Stew of Irrelevance and Innuendo”
Case Review: Meyer v. Bd. of Regents of the U. of Oklahoma, or How long will…
Case Preview: Lonny Marrow v. Jacob Javits Center, et al.
Lessons on Auction Houses from Sotheby’s and the Case of the Stolen Renoir
Small Win for Artists Fighting Against 5Pointz Demolition, But Will It Be Enough?
Case Review: Janney-Pace v. Metropolitan Fine Arts & Antiques
Wallspace LLC Sues Insurance Company for Damages Sustained During Sandy
A Knoedler Aftershock: Freedman sues for Defamation
Statkun v. Gasser and Grunert: Another VARA Claim on the Table in the Southern District of…
After a Protracted Battle, Los Angeles Takes Final Steps to Lifting Ban on Murals
Right to Privacy v. Freedom of Expression in Case of “Peeping Tom” Photographer
Case Review in Brief: Art Historian Found Liable for Incorrect Authentication (2013)
Is Cariou v. Prince Headed to the Supreme Court?
What’s in a name ‘Borghe$e’?
“What’s in a Name?” Peter Paul Biro v. Condé Nast for Defamation
Five Art Market Lessons from Recent Case Law
Appropriate Standards in Appropriation Art? Cariou v. Prince Decision Garners Relief but Fails to Provide Substantive…
In Sobel v. Eggleston, Limited Edition Is NO Limit to Subsequent Editions
Keith Haring Foundation v. Colored Thumb Corp.
“Pandorin’s Box”: Jenack v. Rabizadeh Threatens Anonymity of Sellers at Auction
Jasper Johns’ “Tantric Detail” Paintings Held Hostage and Subject of Suit
Case Review: Konowaloff v. Metropolitan Museum of Art (Holding: Met Can Keep Cézanne)
Regarding Flower in Murakami v. Boesky
Lagrange v. Knoedler — SETTLED
Case Review: the Seven-Year Saga of Bakalar v. Vavra Comes to an End
Perelman and Gagosian Countersue Over ‘Popeye’
The Velvet Underground v. The Andy Warhol Foundation — DISMISSED
Court of Appeals Reverses Lower Court’s Decision in Legal Battle Between Fashion Powerhouses
New York’s Southern District Court Rules that Artworks Consigned to Galleries May Be Reached By Creditors
CA District Court Finds State Resale Royalty Unconstitutional
The Mask, Egyptian Funerary and Known to Legally Disappear
Footnote: Supreme Court Declines Review of Black Swan Case
Marc Jancou Files $26 Million Suit Against Cady Nowland and Sotheby’s
The Kunstmuseum Basel and Malevich Heirs Settle
Warhol Foundation Urges Protection for Appropriation Art as Experts Debate
Nazi-Era Art Litigation: Orkin v Swiss Confederation
More About the Public Domain: Golan v Holder
Cariou v Prince: a continuing controversy
VLA fils an amicus brief in support of Kelley
Inspiration or Infringement: Gordon v McGinley
No One is Innocent but the Cow, or The Tale of a Callous Son
"Phony And Overvalued Russian Art" Impossible but Caveat Emptor
Supreme Court Nonplussed by Claimant Endeavor to Recover Art in Von Saher v. Norton Simon Museum…
Framing Fiduciary Duty in Marchig v. Christie’s
A Pissarro, Stolen and Forfeited
Art Authentication: another foundation comes under scrutiny
Yes Rasta: Richard Prince loses copyright suit
Recent Developments on the Herzog Collection — Nixon Peabody Advises Hungary with Restitution Issues
Parties in Adams Photo Dispute Settle
Dances With Bisons Starring Costner and Detmers — UPDATED 5/15/12
Art Dealers Under Review: The Wildensteins
Westfield v. Federal Republic of Germany — FSIA schields Germany from defending the case on the…
WikiLeaks and Art Law?! Black Swan Affair Gets Wind to its Sail
Spain, Thyssen-Bornemisza Seek Review of Ninth Circuit FSIA Decision
Term of Art: Authenticity
United States and Nicaragua Extend Agreement to Protect Archaeological Heritage of Nicaragua
Will the Supreme Court Take Up Nazi-era Limitations Periods?
YouTube copyright case in Spain — Google cleared
Just Another Art Restitution Case? Think again
Another Odyssey Decisions from FL courts
VARA Applies to Unfinished Works
DOJ Urges 7th Circuit to Shield Iranian Artifacts From Seizure by Terrorism Victims
GLOBAL PIRACY WATCH: AUSTRALIA’S ISP LIABILITY TEST CASE
SHEPARD FAIREY V. ASSOCIATED PRESS (PICTURE’S WORTH SOMETHING)
Keep your Friends Close — Foundations In Dispute Over Artists’ Funds
Photographers of the World Unit (Under US Copyright Law)
