Putin And The Art Scam

A sophisticated Russian art fraud worth tens of millions of pounds in which paintings by minor western European artists have been skilfully doctored to make them look like authentic 19th-century Russian masterpieces were then sold on for as much as 100 times more than they fetched at auction in the West. The dozens of other victims of the scam are said to include a leading Russian politician given as a present a canvas bought for £500,000 - persistent rumours in the art world that say it was President Vladimir Putin. Experts estimate that as many as 200 paintings were “Russified” to cash in on the fast growing passion among the country’s wealthy businessmen for home-grown art. For the full story - click the title Irish Art