Fake Art Empire BUSTED—Secret Criminal Workshop Making Masterpieces EXPOSED!
Italian police raid a hidden Rome workshop, seizing 71 fake Picasso and Rembrandt artworks Minnesotans might spot online. 🌐 #News #History #Art #Crime
ST. PAUL, MN – Minnesota art lovers, take note: a jaw-dropping bust across the Atlantic could affect what you see on your next online gallery scroll. Police recently raided a secret workshop in Rome, Italy, unmasking a slick operation pumping out counterfeit masterpieces. The haul? Seventy-one forged artworks tied to legends like Pablo Picasso and Rembrandt van Rijn, plus a trove of evidence proving the scam’s depth.
Secret Lair Exposed
Italy’s elite art crime unit, the Carabinieri Command for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, cracked the case wide open.
Acting on a tip, they targeted a shady art restorer in Rome’s northern suburbs. What they found was a covert forgery hub, brimming with tools of deception—everything from paint tubes to stencils, all primed to churn out fakes.
The operation, guided by the Rome Public Prosecutor’s Office, zeroed in on bogus 19th- and 20th-century pieces peddled on platforms like eBay and Catawiki.
Tools of the Trickster
Inside the lair, detectives uncovered a treasure trove of trickery.
The cunning connoisseur had forged gallery stamps from long-gone collections and cooked up phony artist signatures.
A typewriter and computer sat ready, spitting out fake “authenticity” certificates to dupe buyers. Color photocopies of auction catalogs—swapped with images of the fresh fakes—added a layer of believability to the devious diva’s scheme.
Every detail was crafted to fool even sharp-eyed collectors.
Fresh Fakes on Canvas
The workshop wasn’t just a planning den—it was a production line.
Canvases still wet with paint bore the signatures of Picasso, Rembrandt, and lesser-known names like Anna de Weert and Albert Lebourg. Surrounded by matching paint tubes and brushes, these works were clearly hot off the easel.
The seized stash included 71 completed or near-finished pieces, all destined for unsuspecting buyers hunting for a deal online.
Big Names, Big Bucks
The stakes were sky-high.
Genuine Picassos and Rembrandts fetch hundreds of thousands—or millions—at auction.
Even knock-offs of niche artists like Belgium’s de Weert (whose real oil painting sold for $47,000 last year) or America’s Congdon ($80,000 in December) rake in thousands without raising red flags. A landscape by the obscure Lebourg recently hit nearly $4,000, proving even the small fry fakes could turn a tidy profit.
Mystery Lingers
How long did this hustle hum? How much cash did the forgery fiend pocket? Police aren’t saying yet. They’ve also kept mum on whether accomplices helped spin this web of deceit. What’s clear is the bust echoes last year’s takedown of a sprawling European forgery ring tied to Picasso, Dalí, and Banksy—suggesting Italy’s fake art scene runs deep.
Minnesota readers, next time you’re eyeing a steal online, double-check that signature. Rome’s latest art scam might just have a twin lurking closer to home.
RELATED TOPICS: Crime | Italy | Lifestyle
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