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6 golden rules: How to navigate the art market and avoid purchasing fake art

How to check if an artwork is genuine before you invest? Experts share six simple tips to avoid fake art, from studying the artist's work and catalogues to asking for details from painting size to provenance.

December 31, 2023 / 12:37 IST
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Seasoned collectors advise extra caution when buying works by well-known artists whose work already commands a high price in Indian and global art markets. Examples from India include MF Husain, SH Raza, VS Gaitonde, Ram Kumar, Krishen Khanna. (Images via Wikimedia Commons)

Not many know what Puneet Bhatia, the India head of TPG Capital, was thinking when he first laid eyes on the painting 'Krishna with the Cows' by artist Manjit Bawa. But everyone is aware of the police complaint he filed against solicitor Vishwang Desai and art dealer Rajesh Rajpal for selling him the fake painting. Apart from this painting, Bhatia purchased 10 more paintings - the sellers told him they were made by S.H. Raza and F.N. Souza, among other well-known artists - for a whopping sum of Rs 17.9 crores; all of which turned out to be fake.

Much like Bhatia, numerous art enthusiasts aspire to build their art collections featuring renowned contemporary and modern artists. As with most investments with potential for a large upside, the art market is plagued by counterfeits. Letters of authentication and seemingly unassailable provenance have been tempered with before.

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To navigate these waters, we sought advice from artists, an art historian, and a seasoned artist-collector, to put together a set of golden rules for prospective art buyers. Here’s a list of what you should know before buying an artwork.

1. Delving into the artist’s work: Bengaluru-based artist Rekha Rao, who is the daughter of acclaimed artist and educator KK Hebbar, remembers Manjit Bawa’s style of working. “He never used a ruler or any geometrical instrument when doing circles and so on,” she says. “It takes a very experienced eye to spot the Manjit Bawa’s fakes.”