Dali "Divine Comedy Fraud" Investigation in Spain!
Park West Gallery and its Hired Experts Ewell and Fornés Exposed!

Bullseye! - Hot off the Press!

Click here to view the LA RAZÓN article & English translation

The horrific (Dantesque) fraud with Dalí

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.

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?

A deposition of Fornés is scheduled in Spain for 27 August, just one day away and Fine Art Registry® will be there. We will have some surprises for Fornés and we will report on other information regarding Fornés in the near future that Fine Art Registry has obtained from sources who actually lived day and night with Salvador Dali. So what does all this news say about Park West Gallery's newly hired legal beagle, Bob Goldman (the gallery's self-proclaimed "most feared prosecutor in the world"), and Park West's newly hired private investigator, Bob Wittman (a real live ex-FBI Agent - wink wink)? Plenty! They are all on the same payroll as Ewell and Fornés, just kicking back and letting that fee meter run. They know Park West Gallery is a cash cow and as long as Park West is willing to spend tens of thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars on endless fees for their so-called lawyers and experts, they will all just sit back and rake it in. Meanwhile, many victims of Park West Gallery are left holding the bag, filled with worthless and forged Dali graphics with little recourse available to them, except to seek legal representation. But we digress.

In this sensational investigative article, The Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation in Spain makes a critical and important point that should be carefully considered by any dealer in Divine Comedy (or Biblia Sacra) prints. This article should especially come as a stern warning to Park West Gallery and the cruise lines responsible for allowing Park West Gallery to continue with the sale of the spurious, pencil signed Dali Divine Comedy prints aboard their cruise ships. That is, the breaking up of complete sets of the Divine Comedy all in violation of Salvador Dali's copyrights and his legacy or patrimony held by The Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation in Spain.

Even more egregious, Park West Gallery has (and continues without ceasing) with purposeful intent, adulterated and desecrated the great reputation and moral rights of the artist, Salvador Dali, in the following ways:

1. By adding a blind stamp in the name of Jean Estrade* to the Park West Gallery inventory of Divine Comedy prints (which was never contemplated nor could it have been contemplated by Salvador Dali or The Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation which protects and oversees the patrimony of the artist, a blind stamp which is in no way associated with the name of Salvador Dali or his creative genius and in fact is a stamp that was created or manufactured for the strict benefit and avarice of Park West Gallery).

   [*Fine Art Registry is in possession of a letter written nearly 25 years ago and dated May 23, 1985, authored by A. Reynolds Morse declaring Jean Estrade as having been "associated with selling proven forgeries of Mr. Dali's works, possibly originating in Italy."]

2. By Park West Gallery (and its employees) adding annotations or pencil notations and numbering to the Dali Divine Comedy (and Biblia Sacra) prints without strict permission from The Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation in Spain.

3. By Park West Gallery allowing and/or encouraging employees or other unknown individuals to add signatures verso to the Divine Comedy prints and other Dali graphics, including signatures bearing the names of (Jean Estrade, Antoine Branducci, Marc Ways and other unknown individuals that were never contemplated to have anything to do with Salvador Dali) without permission or consultation with the The Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation in Spain.

Park West Gallery and the cruise lines are directly responsible for the continued adulteration of thousands of Dali Divine Comedy prints that are in circulation on the market today. Insurance carriers world wide should take notice and beware of insuring or underwriting any Dali Divine Comedy print sourced from cruise lines or Park West Gallery until a determination can be made as to the legitimacy of the inventory being sold. As it stands, nothing with Park West Gallery and its Dali print inventory passes the smell test.

Fine Art Registry congratulates Victor Fernández on a job well done and we are thrilled to see that the great country of Spain and especially Salvador Dali's own home town of Figueres is taking a keen interest in the Dali Divine Comedy fraud being perpetrated on the public world wide and in direct harm to the patrimony of the great painter, Salvador Dali. We hope to see more investigative reporting from Mr. Fernández in the near future.

Article by Fine Art Registry®, August 25, 2009   |   Discuss Story on FAR® Forum   |   Print   |  

Salvador Dali article list ›