FBI Seizes 25 Paintings From Orlando Museum’s Basquiat Exhibit
The authenticity of the art works has been called into question.
Patrick McMullan/Getty
The FBI seized two dozen paintings from a Jean-Michel Basquiat exhibition at the Orlando Museum of Art amid an investigation into possible fraud. The feds alleged in court papers that it has uncovered “false information related to the alleged prior ownership of the paintings” and “attempts to sell the paintings using false provenance.” In addition, The New York Times reports, an FBI affidavit said that “bank records show possible solicitation of investment in artwork that is not authentic.” The current owners say the paintings were found in a Los Angeles storage unit a decade ago; they would be worth $100 million if authentic.
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