Fake forgeries fetch $3000

A copy of Monet's work <i>In the Woods at Giverny</i>.

Two fake forgeries of Claude Monet have fetched almost $3000 at auction in Auckland.

The two forged paintings had to be pulled from Cordy's auctioneers last month after they were discovered to be inferior imitations of famous art forger Elmyr de Hory.

Mark Forgy, a de Hory expert, spotted the auction online and contacted Cordy's to claim the two oil paintings, In the Woods at Giverny and At Giverny, were rip-offs painted more than 30 years ago by London bookmaker Ken Talbot.

Auctioneer Andrew Grigg was quick to withdraw the fake fakes from last month's sale, saying: "Of course it is never our intention to deceive and we were not aware that the faker's works were faked."

But the two pictures resurfaced at auction yesterday, advertised as, 'Fakes of fake Claude Monet and other intriguing and must view items'.

Both works sold, fetching $1000 and $1800 respectively.

"It looks like there is a market for quality fakes of fakes," Mr Grigg said today (Wed.).

"I did ask the buyers of these two works to please ensure they are never faked."

Mr Grigg has also vowed to let the trade know to keep watch for such practices.

De Hory was the 20th century's most prolific art forger, selling more than 1000 forgeries worth an estimated $60 million, including fake Monet, Van Gogh, Degas, Picasso, Matisse, Renoir and Cezanne works, to reputable art galleries and top collectors around the world.