Jack Flam, the president of the Dedalus Foundation, which oversees that estate of Robert Motherwell, was listed in court papers by Knoedler Gallery as a Rothko “expert,” corroborating the authenticity of an allegedly fake Mark Rothko painting. Mr. Flam has now denied that he ever even saw the painting in question. Read More
In its May issue, Vanity Fair delves into the ongoing saga surrounding the Knoedler gallery, the Upper East Side stalwart which closed last year after 165 years in business, and its former director Ann Freedman. The gallery made headlines when allegations surfaced that it sold fake works attributed to some of the 20th century’s biggest artists, including Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Robert Motherwell.
While we’ve heard a lot about the scandal involving KnoedleR, and the various sales it made of works whose provenance is now disputed, Michael Schnayerson’s piece gives a colorful back story of Ms. Freedman, her rise at Knoedler and then her fall, challenging her due diligence in researching the provenance of her acquisitions for the gallery. Read More
