Stars back in the limelight

Two rediscovered Rembrandt pendant portraits and a work by Sweerts are top lots among the Old Master paintings on offer at Christie’s

- Huon Mallalieu

I HAVE been reading L’Affaire Ruffini (Editions Libretto, 2021) by the journalist Vincent Noce, documenting his investigation into a number of fake Old Masters that have been unmasked since 2016, with suspicions going back to 1985. Many curators, collectors, connaisseurs, restorers, scientists, dealers and auctioneers, wellrespected as well as less reputable figures, have been fooled or swindled across the international art market. A few have had their reputations enhanced, others have stayed silent. There have been court cases involving many millions of pounds.

Last month, Lino Frongia, an Italian artist, was arrested for the second time, on suspicion of forging Hals, Cranach, El Greco, Par- migianino, Velázquez, Orazio Gentileschi and other masters; the controversial critic and politician Vittorio Sgarbi has called him ‘the greatest among the living Old Masters’. Many of these works have been ‘discoveries’, which came with plausible provenances that fell apart when researched. The common thread has been a Franco-Italian ‘collector’, Giuliano Ruffini, currently also awaiting trial.