Tuesday 1 November 2011

David searching for his Soul (1979) Norval Morrisseau



David searching for his Soul
Norval Morrisseau
acrylic on canvas, 30" x 50", titled verso in pencil, c. 1979
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Waddington's Auctioneers sold this authentic Norval Morrisseau painting in 2009. The painting's title concerns Norval's eldest son, David Morrisseau, who has been painting and authenticating counterfeit Norval Morrisseau art for more than a decade.

Over the years Waddington's have auctioned off a plethora of quality Woodland artworks, including Morrisseaus. Understandably, in the past, Waddington's and other Canadian art venues, have been fooled into moving forgeries as well.

The undeniable truth about Morrisseau fakes has now been publicly accessible for several years. In today's climate, those selling purported Morrisseau paintings without provenance require assurance of authenticity from legitimate sources.

Waddington's know where to look to figure things out. They also know who to contact for confirmation on the authenticity of any purported Morrisseau paintings they may wish to auction off. The public has a cultural investment in this art. Responsible vetting is worth the effort, isn't it?

Perhaps not. Joyner's Waddington's appear intent on auctioning off yet another fake Morrisseau painting on November 25 2011. This painting, dated 1977, is obviously from the Gary Lamont sourced genre of forgeries often dated (though not painted) in the late 1970s. The auctioneers hope to bring in $10-15K for it but I hope that they rethink listing it. Nobody wants to buy a lemon.

After a few minutes training children can spot forgeries from this genre at a glance using flashcards. Why can't Waddington's?

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