Counterfeit Art Futurist Botha Osvaldo (Osvaldo Bot)

[Евгений]

Italian police seized 5,000 counterfeit paintings
Italian police seized a group of swindlers five thousand fake paintings to be sold to private collections, reports agency Associated Press.
According to ANSA, in a criminal gang involved 70-year-old art of Piacenza, a collector and artist. In 2006 they organized an exhibition in Piacenza Italian futurist Botha Osvaldo (Osvaldo Bot). Organizers of the exhibition claimed that many of the artworks presented were not previously shown publicly.

Some time ago the police turned art critic Maurizio Skudero (Maurizio Scudiero), who stated that the sale appeared suspiciously large number of works Botha. Many paintings were sold in the United States.

During a half year-long investigation revealed that members of criminal groups bought at antique stores paper and copied it to the work of other artists, futurists, such as Giacomo Balla and Fortunato Depero. At the ready copy, they added a signature Botha. Experts also note that some criminals are copying the work applies to other currents of art, and presenting them as pictures Osvaldo Botha.

In addition to the forged paintings, criminals have written more than a hundred letters on behalf of Botha, addressed to the Italian aristocracy, with which the artist was not even familiar.