Fine Art Registry and Forensics in Art

Fine Art Registry™ and Forensics in Art

Back in November 2006 Fine Art Registry became involved in the subject of art and forensics when one of our members, Frank Brown, saw a painting known as Teri’s Find featured on TV and thought it might be one that he himself had painted.

We attempted to gain access to the painting for him but this was denied.

We then commissioned a fingerprint examiner to review the report by Peter Paul Biro, Montreal art restorer, in which he claimed that he had authenticated the painting as being by Jackson Pollock using fingerprint analysis. The fingerprint examiner found the claim to be false.

We were then contacted by the Parker family who had another painting which Biro had also authenticated as being by Jackson Pollock using fingerprint evidence. They were willing for us to examine their painting. We were also given access to the Pollock-Krasner museum by its curator, Helen Harrison, and examined and photographed fingerprints on paint cans and other items there. The evidence pointed to the possibility of forged fingerprints on the Parkers’ painting.

We then retained a fingerprint forgery expert, Pat Wertheim, to examine the prints on the Parkers’ painting and in the Pollock-Krasner Museum.

He found that the fingerprints were indeed forged. His report has now been released and the authorities are being informed of the forgery. Since up to tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars are involved, this becomes a criminal matter of some importance.

This web page has links to all the relevant information and is provided primarily for press and media and any law enforcement authorities so that the background information is readily available.

Fine Art Registry is not in the business of forensics in art. We are in the business of honesty and transparency in the art world. That is our sole interest in this case.

We welcome input from anyone knowledgeable about this subject or anyone who has relevant documents. Please send any comments or information to us using the contact form.