FAR® Investigates Suspected Dali Fakes

The Descharnes' Undying Commitment to Salvador Dali
Protecting the Reputation of the Life's Work of the Artist for Well Over Half a Century. For decades Robert Descharnes has seriously pursued Dali's decree to "honor" and "defend" the artist's body of work. There is no one that can dispute that Robert Descharnes was more than a secretary to the great painter. He was a cherished friend.
Dali Article, October 20, 2009

10 Sets of Park West Dali Prints Examined. Investment? or Rip-off?
A brief summary of the examination by two international Salvador Dali experts, Frank Hunter and Nicolas Descharnes, of ten different sets of Dali prints sold by Park West Gallery for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Forged signatures and outright fake prints were found. Most of the prints examined were worth almost nothing.
Video, September 9, 2009

More on the Inadequacies of Bernard Ewell, Straight from the Mule's Mouth, According to Albert Field
Throughout the Fine Art Registry® investigation into cruise ship art auctions, and in particular, the bad business practices of Park West Gallery, representatives of Park West have repeatedly (when it is convenient for them to do so) through varying media attempted to defame, slander, disparage, decimate, and lay waste to the good name and reputation of Albert Field, Founder and Director of the Salvador Dali Archives in New York and author of "The Official Catalog of the Graphic Works of Salvador Dali". One of the Park West Gallery representatives leading the charge against Albert Field and his successor, Frank Hunter, is Bernard Ewell, an appraiser and his own biggest fan.
Dali Article, September 4, 2009

Park West Gallery and its Hired Experts Ewell and Fornes Exposed!
Víctor Fernández, investigative reporter for LA RAZÓN newspaper in Barcelona, Spain, reports on the ever-increasing and ostensibly endless fraudulent and overpriced Dali "Divine Comedy" prints which are being sold in large part, by Park West Gallery a commercial art seller that figures prominently in this Spanish art fraud investigation along with its self-proclaimed, dime-store Dali "detective", Bernie Ewell (who on his best day is a mere appraiser), but for a buck would authenticate a Dali Pez dispenser if asked to (that is, if there were such a thing). Shockingly, it also focuses on Park West Gallery's newly hired "expert", Eduard Fornés, who just happens to be in a nice cozy bed with Park West Gallery. Like Ewell, it appears that Fornés will do anything for money. Now that Fornés is implicated in wrong doing in Spain, what will Park West Gallery do now?
Dali Article, August 25, 2009

Dali "Divine Comedy Fraud" Investigation in Spain
The Horrific (Dantesque) Fraud with Dali
The center sued by the painter's Foundation sells loose prints from The Divine Comedy. A publisher authenticates for the USA a collection which is the subject of legal battles. La Razón, Spain.
Media, Dali Article, August 25, 2009

The Inadequacy of Bernard Ewell's Expertise on Dali Graphics According to Albert Field
Well over a decade ago, on January 13, 1997, Albert Field wrote a letter to the "Personal Property Journal," a trade publication published by the American Society of Appraisers. Mr. Field was responding in objection to an article written by art appraiser, Bernard Ewell. The letter provided, courtesy of The Salvador Dali Archives in New York, speaks for itself and is published here to establish what little regard Albert Field truly had for Bernard Ewell's expertise.
Dali Article, August 13, 2009

Dali Fakes #8: Creating "Provenance", Park West Gallery and Salvador Dali Prints
In its investigation of Dali prints sold at cruise ship art auctions, Fine Art Registry® has found that, in addition to bearing forged Dali signatures, much of the provenance provided by Park West Gallery to support the authenticity of the graphics it has sold, is spurious, hopelessly incomplete or intentionally confusing and misleading. Much of the information concerning the provenance surrounding how, when, and where, the so-called Dali signatures were applied is either completely omitted from the provenance or history of the acquisition by the art dealer or mischaracterized.
Dali Article, August 13, 2009

On Video - Park West Auctioneer Misrepresents Dali Prints
We were recently sent the following link to a video of part of a Park West auction on Enchantment of the Seas (Royal Caribbean) by an attendee who happens to be a Dali collector. This video was shot on July 19 2009. Two factors are particularly interesting.
Video, July 23, 2009

The Surreal Case of Dali's Art and the Squandered Legacy - The Independent
The Independent (UK newspaper) reports: On the cruise of a lifetime came the chance of a fortune. Cahal Milmo reports on a family who claim they were 'swindled' out of $400,000. Press coverage of Park West Gallery fraud victim and Fine Art Registry member, Sharon Day.
Media, July 18, 2009

Dali Fakes #7: Setting the Record Straighter
Park West Gallery Director Morris Shapiro deliberately fed false information to the public via The Artist's Magazine. His article was published under threat of legal action by Park West Gallery if F+W, the magazine's publisher, refused. Not only was the reading public misinformed, they were also subjected to false disparagement of the reputations of those who would provide accurate information to the public.
Dali Article, July 7, 2009

Park West Gallery Dali Print - $13,000. Forged Dali Signature
A Salvador Dali print sold by Park West Gallery aboard a Carnival cruise ship for over $13,000 was recently examined by two world renowned Dali experts. They found that the signature is a forgery, and that the print with the false signature had a value of $0.00.
Video, May 3, 2009

Experts Examine Another Salvador Dali Print... Signature Forged
A Salvador Dali print sold by Park West Gallery aboard a Norwegian Cruise Line ship was recently examined by two world renowned Dali experts. The verdict? The signature is a forgery, and one which they have been seeing a lot of on prints sold by Park West. Total value? $0.00.
Video, April 27, 2009

Park West Gallery, Fake Dali Print, Fake Dali Signatures
$22,000 worth of art sold by Park West Gallery aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship and at a land auction was recently examined by two world renowned Dali experts. The verdict? One of the prints is a fake print with a fake signature. The other is a genuine print with a fake signature. Total value? $0.00.
Video, April 17, 2009

Salvador Dali's Purloined Imagery - Caveat Emptor!
A person or persons, most probably in France or Italy, discovers the Dali illustrated Macbeth and decides the illustrations would make for good prints.... The publisher will market his product and attempt to recoup his investment with a profit even before the date of publication. So why is it that this print has not been seen by anyone until the 90s? Some would have it that the publisher “held it” as an investment. Nonsense!! No publisher will hold onto an entire edition by a famous artist for decades.
Dali Article, April 15, 2009

Divine Comedy, Divine Tragedy, Divine Farce - The Saga Continues
This is a follow-up to the Fine Art Registry video entitled Divine Comedy? Divine Tragedy? Or Divine Farce? The Great Park West Dali Half Million Dollar Swindle which should be watched before this video so that this one can be better understood and followed. Two world-renowned experts in the work of Salvador Dali, Frank Hunter of the Salvador Dali Archives Ltd. in New York and Nicolas Descharnes from Paris, compare a near mint set of Divine Comedy Prints recently sold by Sotheby's, to the set of Divine Comedy Prints sold by Morris Shapiro of Park West Gallery to Sharon Day and Julian Howard.
Video, April 11, 2009

Park West Gallery and Bernard Ewell Salvador Dali Blue Unicorn Blues
Bernard Ewell, Park West's Dali expert of choice, pronounces a Dali print given to a Park West employee in lieu of payment, to be an out and out fake with a forged signature. But Park West asserts they have never sold a fake piece of art.
Article, April 6, 2009

Art Magazine Accuses Collector: Forged Paintings at Forthcoming Dali Exhibition?
Augsburg (rpo). Three weeks before the opening of a major exhibition of paintings by Salvador Dali in Agusburg the Hamburg-based magazine Art has leveled serious charges against the organization. In its latest edition the magazine claimed the exhibition in question was notorious among art experts for its inclusion of several forged paintings.
News, February 13, 2009

Coming Soon to FAR® - SHOCKING REVELATIONS - Park West Gallery Skeletons
In light of the recent spate of black PR propaganda forwarded by Park West Gallery and its henchpeople, we decided it was high time to begin letting all those nasty skeletons out of the PWG (Park West Gallery) closet. We can assure you, and it is an understatement to state that you have never seen the likes of these skeletons. They have deep, dark secrets that we are certain Park West Gallery would just as soon bury forever in the deepest depths of Sheol. But we've got the Skeleton Key and we're ready to unlock the door.
News, February 4, 2009

Dali and the Danaer - Criminal Investigation: The Dali-Albaretto Collection
The English Translation of the newspaper article, "Dali und die Danaer, Im Visier der Ermittler: die Dali-Sammlung Albaretto" that was published in the German newspaper, "Zeitung" on Sunday, August 8, 2004. Translated by Elenore Hadrys in August 2004. Courtesy The Salvador Dali Archives, Ltd. NY.
Media, January 14, 2009

ABC Detroit News Reports on Lawsuit Against Park West Gallery
In an ABC News, Channel 7 Detroit, report entitled, LAWSUIT: Southfield Gallery Sold Fake Art, Peggy Agar reports about the lawsuit against Park West Gallery for claims of selling fake art to customers.
Media, January 12, 2009

The Detroit News Reports on Lawsuit Against Park West Gallery
In a news article featured in The Detroit News entitled, Suits Claims Sale of Forged Art at Southfield Gallery, Mike Martindale reports about the lawsuit against Park West Gallery for claims of selling forged artwork to customers. Fine Art Registry® is referenced.
Media, January 12, 2009

Dali Fakes #6: Divine Comedy? Divine Tragedy? Or Divine Farce? The Great Park West Salvador Dali Half a Million Dollar Print Swindle
Sharon Day and her husband Julian Howard were sold a full set of Salvador Dali's Divine Comedy prints for close to half a million dollars by Morris Shapiro of Park West Gallery in Southfield Michigan. This was sold as an investment with representations of it being a rare investment opportunity. Not long afterwards, circumstances changed and Julian and Sharon decided to liquidate their "investment." When Shapiro at Park West summarily dismissed their invitation to Park West to buy the set of prints back, their investigation rapidly showed them that what they had bought was not worth a fraction of what they had paid. Worse, there was a possibility that the prints themselves and/or the pencil Dali signatures on them were forged.
Case Study, January 10, 2009

Press Release: Frustrated Cruise Line Art Auction Buyers Sue Park West Gallery and Royal Caribbean Cruises for Fraud, Conspiracy and Other Charges
A Complaint and Demand for Jury Trial was filed on 23 December 2008 against Park West Galleries, Inc., Albert Scaglione and Morris Shapiro (owner and gallery director, respectively) and Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd., by the Farmington Hills, MI, attorneys, Kaufman, Payton and Chapa, for Plaintiffs Albert and Vivian Best, Sharon Day, Julian Howard, Deborah Austin, Cheryl Crist, Heidi Rice, Michael and Maria Vallillo and Martha Szostak, all customers of Park West Galleries and all, except for Albert and Vivian Best, Fine Art Registry members.
Press, January 7, 2009

Press Release: New Documentary from Fine Art Registry® Exposes Half Million Dollar Fraud
Global Fine Art Registry, LLC, has produced and released a documentary video in which internationally renowned experts on Salvador Dali and a research scientist examine a set of Dali Divine Comedy prints sold by Park West Gallery for close to half a million dollars, and state their unanimous opinions that the prints bear forged Dali signatures, in addition to a number of other anomalies in the set of boxed prints.
Press, January 5, 2009

Part 2: Divine Comedy? Divine Tragedy? Or Divine Farce? The Great Park West Dali Half Million Dollar Swindle
Part 2 of a 32-minute, two-part documentary. It was a strange gathering in the warehouse environment at MANA Fine Art Storage in Jersey City, NJ, on Monday 8 December 2008. Sharon Day, a London, England based lawyer, but here on this occasion as a former passenger of Royal Caribbean cruise lines and Park West Gallery. Mr. Nicolas Descharnes, of Paris France, an internationally recognized expert on Salvador Dali original art and on Dali fakes. Frank Hunter, Director of the Salvador Dali Archives in New York who helped Albert Field compile the famous Official Guide to the Graphic Works of Salvador Dali, himself a world renowned expert on Salvador Dali graphic works. Joe Barabe, an expert in microscopy and scientific forensic examination specializing in art, with McCrone Group of Westmont, IL. Shaul Shemesh, Operations Manager of MANA Fine Art storage in Jersey City, NJ. Teri Franks, CEO of Fine Art Registry. And a video team.
Video, December 22, 2008

Part 1: Divine Comedy? Divine Tragedy? Or Divine Farce? The Great Park West Dali Half Million Dollar Swindle
Part 1 of a 32-minute, two-part documentary in which experts examine a set of Salvador Dali Divine Comedy prints, sold by Park West to two London based lawyers, for over half a million dollars. Examination of the prints show them to be genuine Dali woodblock prints BUT each with a FORGED Dali signature. The prints without the signatures would be worth about $10,000. The prints with genuine Dali signatures would be worth $30-50,000. The prints as they are, with forged signatures, are worth nothing. The video shows how Park West and Royal Caribbean International swindled Sharon Day and Julian Howard out of over half a million dollars. But the story is not over.
Video, December 22, 2008

A Short Summary: Divine Comedy? Divine Tragedy? Or Divine Farce? The Great Park West Dali Half Million Dollar Swindle
A short summary of a full length documentary in which experts examine a set of Salvador Dali Divine Comedy prints, sold by Park West to two London based lawyers, for over half a million dollars. Examination of the prints show them to be genuine Dali woodblock prints BUT each with a FORGED Dali signature. The prints without the signatures would be worth about $10,000. The prints with genuine Dali signatures would be worth $30-50,000. The prints as they are, with forged signatures, are worth nothing. The video shows how Park West and Royal Caribbean International swindled Sharon Day and Julian Howard out of over half a million dollars. But the story is not over.
Video, December 19, 2008

Dali Fakes #5: Oops! Was Salvador Dali's Signature on "Rare and Valuable" Authentic Park West Gallery Albaretto Divine Comedy Prints Lifted from Somewhere Else?
Did someone forget to remove the color from inside the loop of the "D" in Dali's signature when they carefully applied it to a print in the Park West Gallery catalog of "The Divine Comedy, Sacra Biblia, Albaretto Collection, A Selection of Original Drawings?" Another possible explanation would be that after Dali did his "full signature in sepia China ink" he then went back and watercolored in some color in the loops of the "D" to make it look prettier. Maybe Dali was into painting by numbers...
Article, December 1, 2008

Remembering Albert Field
Albert, or "Cap", as his friends called him, was certainly the most interesting person I had ever met. His collection of playing cards was one of many intellectual pursuits he enjoyed. He immersed himself so completely into so many pursuits, that now in retrospect, I cannot for the likes of me fathom how he did so much in a single lifetime, albeit a long one.
Article, November 11, 2008

Dali Fakes #4: More Truth for Park West Gallery and its Lone Dali Authenticator, Bernard Ewell
The oldest, largest and most widely hailed auction houses in the world, Sotheby's and Christie's agree that the only definitive universal experts on the original works of Salvador Dali are Robert and Nicolas Descharnes of Paris, France. In an e-mail (courtesy copy provided to FAR® by the Salvador Dali Gallery to whom the email was directed), Mr. Jay Vincze, Director of Impressionist and Modern Art for Christie's confirmed that Robert and Nicolas Descharnes are the only experts in the world for the authentication of Salvador Dali original works of art used by that auction house.
Article, October 21, 2008

Dali Fakes #3: Authenticating Salvador Dali - Whom Can You Trust?
Authentication - What it is and Who Does it. It may be too obvious but it's worth stating: a genuine painting by Picasso, by Jackson Pollock, by Rembrandt, by any famous artist, can fetch tens or hundreds of thousands or even many millions of dollars; a fake or a forgery, which can often look very much like the real thing, is usually worth nothing or very little. With so much money at stake, it is essential to be able to tell what is real and genuine, and what is a fake or a forgery.
Article, October 21, 2008

The Truth About Park West at Sea Cruise Line Art Auctions - An Insider's Story
A former Park West auctioneer, Gavin Watson, who pioneered art auctions on cruise ships before Park West Gallery ever got involved or Park West at Sea was formed and later went on to work for Albert Scaglione and Park West, tells the story of how the art auctions on cruise ships began, how they were taken over by Park West and how they dwindled from a fun activity where real bargains were to be had to what they are now, overpriced and often poor quality art sold under heavy pressure for more than it is worth using anything goes sales tactics.
Video, October 10, 2008

The Artist's Magazine features Fine Art Registry® Dali Investigation Article
The Artist's Magazine November 2008 issue carries a two-page spread about the Fine Art Registry® led investigation into the authenticity and value of two Dali prints sold by Park West at Sea for thousands of dollars.
Media Coverage, October 10, 2008

Thumbs Down for Bernie Ewell - Sotheby's Says Decharnes Rules
AUCTION GIANT SOTHEBY'S WEIGHS IN... on the subject of authentication of "ORIGINAL" Salvador Dali works of art.
News, September 23, 2008

Salvador Dali Fakes, Documentary Video
Five part video series in which Fine Art Registry takes Salvador Dali prints to world renowned Dali experts and authorities in Stuttgart Germany, Paris France and New York for their expert opinion, and the overwhelming evidence that these prints, which sold for over $7,000 in one case and over $18,000 in the other, are fakes.
Video, August 28, 2008

Fine Art Registry® Press Release
International Dali Experts and Art Crime Police Find Dali Prints Sold by Park West at Sea to be Fake – Fine Art Registry Releases Full Length Video
Press, August 28, 2008

Dali Art Fraud, Highly Suspicious "Dali" Works
Photographs provided by the Salvador Dalí Archives Ltd., of New York City. Their provenance is Mara and Giuseppe Albaretto, Turin, Italy.
Photos, August 28, 2008

Open Letter from Frank Hunter, Director, The Dali Archives, LTD
A response to the recent outbreak of lies and slander about Albert Field, The Official Catalog of the Graphic Works of Salvador Dali, and related matters.
News, August 15, 2008

Dali Fakes #2: Where Do the Park West Dali Prints Come From?
In the last article in this series, we covered the fact that two prints sold by Park West, one for around $18,000 and one for over $7,000 were both found by experts to be fakes. This brings up the question: Where do the Dali prints sold by Park West come from?
Article, June 23, 2008

Dali Fakes #1: Salvador Dali Print Forgery
Fake originals and prints are a huge industry, and a scourge on the art market today. This is a study of forgery and fraud concerning two Salvador Dalí limited edition prints.
Article, June 10, 2008

Zeit Online The Really Big Bluff: Graphic Prints by Dali Falsified in Large Quantities
Media, May 27, 2008

Paris Match Article on the Albarettos and the Fake Salvador Dalis Scandal
Media, May 27, 2008

Park West Gallery Lies About Credentials of their Dali "Expert" Bernard Ewell
News, May 27, 2008

Interview Excerpt with German Art Fraud Police Officer Regarding Dali Fakes
News, April 24, 2008

The Albarettos, Again Investigated for Suspected Dali Fakes
Media, April 22, 2008

Notarized Salvador Dali Statement Regarding Albaretto Family and Dali's Art
News, April 22, 2008

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