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The Zaks Affair: Anatomy of a Fake Collection

A huge collection of Russian modernist paintings enters the art market and European and American museums. Is it fake or real? And who is the mysterious man behind it?

A huge collection of the Russian and Ukrainian art was put on sale in Europe. Paintings were sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds and made their way into European and American museums.

It was said to include over 200 oil paintings of some of the most treasured Russian and Ukrainian constructivist artists, such El Lissitzky, Exter, Goncharova, Popova and others, putting it among the largest in the world.

But are the paintings fake or real, and is the story of their provenance true or made up?

And who is the mysterious Russian-Israeli dealer behind this collection?

The 大象传媒 followed art detectives, forensic experts, leading curators and historians, and a Swiss family who were told their priceless works were worthless.

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58 minutes

Last on

Wed 13 Mar 2024 02:50

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