Major Russian Museum Accused of Art Forgery

A Russian art dealer has accused one of the country’s major art galleries, the Russian Museum, of forgery. He claims a painting he acquired in 2009 is a fake, created at the museum’s depository. The police have opened an investigation.

­Aleksandr Vasiliev purchased a painting by the prominent Russian artist, Boris Kustodiev, from a private individual, “without bothering to send the work for analysis”, the Head of the museum’s press office, Natalia Zhukova, told the Novye Izvestia daily. Later another wealthy art collector expressed interest in the masterpiece entitled "At the Restaurant". He carried out his own independent analysis which confirmed that the painting was a fake. Experts at the St Petersburg-based Russian Museum have confirmed it is not genuine. Read More...