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Hundreds of César sculptures faked
French counterfeiters have been accused of faking hundreds of works by the late French sculptor César, which top art dealers and the artist's girlfriend said had them fooled.
Ten people faced charges of involvement in counterfeiting in Grasse, southern France, on Monday in a trial that threatens to lift the lid on the sometimes murky world of art dealing. Prosecutors accuse two experts of turning a blind eye to forgery for a quick profit.
Eric Piedoie, 55, was charged with forgery and fraud for allegedly faking 135 works by César - whose full name is César Baldaccini - renowned for his sculptures of crushed cars and coffee machines.
Prosecutors believe Mr Piedoie, along with his brother, mother and several intermediaries made up to 20 million euros (£18 million) from the sale of César fakes in the three years following the sculptor's death in 1998. They are believed to have bought old model cars from antique dealers and crushed them in a Grasse garage.
Two respected Parisian art dealers - Guy Pieters and Laurent Strouk - were charged with complicity after dozens of forged Césars were found on their premises.
Many bore the official seal of approval from César's last partner, Stéphanie Busutil, and the artist's thumbprint. Miss Busutil, who is a civil plaintiff, said she had trusted the dealers when they said he works were genuine. The dealers, in their defence, are expected to argue that the reverse was true.
The brother-in-law of a photographer friend of César has admitted to creating three stamps with César's thumbprint forged from a photocopy.
The suspected counterfeiters appear to have exploited uncertainty over exactly how many works the prolific César had completed before his death.
"The multiplication of César's works circulating on the market shortly after his death at a time when questions of inheritance had not even been resolved should have alerted art professionals who are versed in such matters," said the prosecution.
Art detectives stumbled upon the forgery ring while investigating the theft of four top paintings - including a Chagall and a Magritte - in 2001 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, southern France. Police learned of the César connection while eavesdropping the telephone conversation of two accomplices.
So confident in his abilities to escape prosecution was Mr Piedoie, he once bragged in an anonymous TV interview that he had made 1,500 fake Césars, selling them for up to 45,000 euros a piece. In his defence, he argues his creations are not forgeries but artworks in their own right "inspired" by César.
A gilded bronze statue by César went last week for 157,000 euros at an auction of works belonging to the late fashion designer, Yves Saint Laurent.
All of the accused deny wrongdoing.