Man admits swapping classic Chinese artworks for fakes he painted himself, and gets his own fake pai

[ignhelper]

[IMG]http://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/d5c90eaeef13ed3f38b410b006992896afd0a08e/0_0_3000_1802/master/3000.jpg?w=620&q=85&auto=format&sharp=10&[/IMG]
[QUOTE]A former university librarian has admitted stealing 143 paintings by famous Chinese artists from a gallery he was in charge of and replacing them with fakes he painted himself.Xiao Yuan, 57, substituted valuable works including landscapes and calligraphies between 2004 and 2006, while working as the chief librarian in a gallery within the library of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in south-east [URL="http://www.theguardian.com/world/china"]China[/URL].
Appearing in court on Tuesday, he claimed the practice was rampant and the handling of such paintings was not secure. Xiao said he noticed fakes already hanging in the gallery on his first day in the job. Later, after he replaced some of the remaining original works with his own fakes, he was surprised when the latter were substituted for further fake paintings.
He told Guangzhou people’s intermediate court: “I realised someone else had replaced my paintings with their own because I could clearly discern that their works were terribly bad.”
Xiao said he did not know who replaced his fakes, but that students and professors could borrow paintings in the same way as library books.
He sold 125 of the original paintings at auction between 2004 and 2011 for more than 34m yuan (£3.5m), and used the money to buy apartments and other paintings. The 18 others he stole are estimated to be worth more than 70m yuan (£7.2m), according to prosecutors.

Xiao pleaded guilty to a corruption charge for substituting the 143 paintings and said he deeply regretted his crime.
The stolen works mentioned in the court transcript included paintings by the influential 20th-century artists Qi Baishi, who used watercolours, and Zhang Daqian, who depicted landscapes and lotuses, and was considered a master forger himself.
Also removed from the library was Rock and Birds by Zhu Da, a 17th-century painter and calligrapher.[/QUOTE]

[url]http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/21/man-admits-swapping-classic-artworks-fakes-guangzhou-academy-fine-arts-xiao-yuan[/url]

[QUOTE]He told Guangzhou people’s intermediate court: “I realised someone else had replaced my paintings with their own because I could clearly discern that their works were terribly bad.”[/QUOTE]

Wow, holy shit

[bitches]

broken image

[GameWalrus]

This is shocking. If they were so bad, how did no one realize they were fake sooner?

[Schmaaa]

The article says that when he took the job, he noticed fakes in the library already. He replaced some of the remaining originals with his own fakes, and then noticed later some of his own fakes were replaced with other fakes

[Tmaxx]

Is there anything the Chinese won't counterfeit?

[reevezy67]

[QUOTE=Tmaxx;48272386]Is there anything the Chinese won't counterfeit?[/QUOTE]

那个东西不存在了
[sp]no[/sp]

[IKTM]

[QUOTE=Schmaaa;48272214]The article says that when he took the job, he noticed fakes in the library already. He replaced some of the remaining originals with his own fakes, and then noticed later some of his own fakes were replaced with other fakes[/QUOTE]

It also says that one of the artists whose paintings were being replaced by forgeries was himself known to be a master at making forgeries. How fucking deep does this rabbithole of fake Chinese paintings go?

[Pyroknight]

[QUOTE=reevezy67;48272487]那个东西不存在了
[sp]no[/sp][/QUOTE]

That's a pretty complicated way to say, 没有

[GoogleyGareth]

[QUOTE=IKTM;48274476]It also says that one of the artists whose paintings were being replaced by forgeries was himself known to be [B]a master at making forgeries[/B]. How fucking deep does this rabbithole of fake Chinese paintings go?[/QUOTE]

Oh christ what the hell.

This is some mgs-tier conspiracy shit.

[Deathtrooper2]

[QUOTE=Hogie bear;48286643]Oh christ what the hell.

This is some mgs-tier conspiracy shit.[/QUOTE]

[IMG]http://facepunch.com/image.php?u=435543&dateline=1434395786[/IMG]

DUN DUN DUN.....

[Jitterz]

Ya this makes me realize how little I get art. If people enjoy looking at the forged, forgeries, then who is to say which is more valuable.

Again, I DO NOT GET ART.

[A B.A. Survivor]

[QUOTE=Jitterz;48286742]Ya this makes me realize how little I get art. If people enjoy looking at the forged, forgeries, then who is to say which is more valuable.

Again, I DO NOT GET ART.[/QUOTE]

Well, neither did the museum administration, apparently.

[gk99]

143 paintings.

Holy shit.

[xZippy]

In the story it says "Xiao pleaded guilty to a corruption charge for substituting the 143 paintings and said he deeply regretted his crime."

So... is the regret from his actual crime or just the fact that what he did was also done to him?

[Nigademus]

[QUOTE=xZippy;48295950]In the story it says "Xiao pleaded guilty to a corruption charge for substituting the 143 paintings and said he deeply regretted his crime."

So... is the regret from his actual crime or just the fact that what he did was also done to him?[/QUOTE]
It's from getting caught

[JaffaOrange]

Makes one wonder about the relative worth of a fake compared to an original if no one can tell the difference.

There should be an exhibit where all the fakes are lined up with the original chronologically.

[Levelog]

[QUOTE=Jabberwocky;48296000]Makes one wonder about the relative worth of a fake compared to an original if no one can tell the difference.

There should be an exhibit where all the fakes are lined up with the original chronologically.[/QUOTE]

There needs to be fake art museums. The tickets would be cheaper and they could lessen security.

[TornadoAP]

[QUOTE=Levelog;48296083]There needs to be fake art museums. The tickets would be cheaper and they could lessen security.[/QUOTE]

Isn't that kinda like making it real art? They're still probably going to have a pretty high value for the virtue of just being in a museum.

[Zonesylvania]

[QUOTE=TornadoAP;48296114]Isn't that kinda like making it real art? They're still probably going to have a pretty high value for the virtue of just being in a museum.[/QUOTE]
Many museums do put in copies of some of their exhibits in display cases/rooms, and store the originals in a secure room, generally if they haven't been fully researched or examined yet. The numismatism section in the local museum has that for the coins (some idiots actually stole those, thinking they were real metal, a couple months ago)

[Grimhound]

[QUOTE=IKTM;48274476]It also says that one of the artists whose paintings were being replaced by forgeries was himself known to be a master at making forgeries. How fucking deep does this rabbithole of fake Chinese paintings go?[/QUOTE]

You want the serious answer? To be a GOOD forger you need to be a competent artist. You need to understand styles, influences, histories. You need to understand how the artists whose works you're copying paint. You need to know their brush strokes. Their paints. Their canvas.

And counterfeiting is a damn good way to make money if you're really good at it. It's a good substitute for your own lack of success in the art world. Throw in the cultural attitude and you can see some sense in this nonsense.