Unsolicited Correspondence: Intricate Artwork Alleged to Be Counterfeit, Reminiscent of Picasso's Stylized Masterpieces
In a discussion by art historian Patrick M Dransfield, based in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the intriguing anecdote shared by the late John Richardson, a renowned Picasso biographer and expert on the artist's work, about sorting authentic and fake Picasso drawings with Pablo Picasso himself, has been brought to light. However, the specific details of this anecdote, such as the exact time and the particular drawing in question, remain undisclosed.
John Richardson's expertise in identifying authentic Picasso works amid numerous fakes circulating in the market is well-known, and stories about the authentication of Picasso's art often underscore the challenges in provenance and authenticity verification that Picasso's vast output invites.
In a recent review published in FT Weekend on June 28, Clive Cookson discussed Marcus du Sautoy's book, Blueprints: How Mathematics Shapes Creativity. The review touched upon the topic of "fake" Jackson Pollock paintings, but Dransfield's discussion does not refer to any such paintings, focusing instead on the intriguing anecdote involving Picasso and Richardson.
Dransfield's discussion also reveals that Picasso himself put a particular drawing on the "fake" pile during the sorting. The specifics of this incident, such as the reason for Picasso's decision and Richardson's response, are not detailed in the available information.
If you're interested in learning more about the authentication challenges surrounding Picasso's art or the role John Richardson played in this domain, further research may be required, perhaps through biographical volumes by Richardson himself. For now, the exact anecdote of Picasso and Richardson sorting artworks together remains a fascinating yet enigmatic tale in the annals of art history.
The intriguing anecdote, rich in entertainment value, involving John Richardson and Picasso, sheds light on a lesser-known facet of the art world - the authentication of Picasso's works, often fraught with difficulties due to the sheer volume of his output. Books delving into the challenges in provenance and authenticity of Picasso's art or John Richardson's personal accounts may provide a deeper understanding of this captivating episode in art history.
