It was an unexpected find. On Saturday, February 18, during an investigation in Sofia, armed officers of the Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office for Combating Organized Crime discovered a painting reminiscent of the style of the work of American artist Jackson Pollock. On the back was a handwritten dedication with the date of birth of actress Lauryn Bacall, as well as an inscription in Romanian. It is said that for decades this painting, the authenticity of which is now being investigated, was in Athens with a Greek family.

The news that an undocumented, previously unknown work by an American artist may have been found has been around the world in recent weeks. Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said the painting is part of the collection of former Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu and even expressed confidence in its authenticity, although the investigation does not appear to have been completed yet. His report mobilized the Minister of Culture of Romania, Lucean Romascanu. “After confirming the authenticity of the work and its connection with our country, we will take all necessary measures for its repatriation,” he said.

How did the painting get from Athens to Sofia, and what thread allegedly connects it with Ceausescu and Greece? “K” contacted the National Gallery of Bulgaria, spoke with researchers specializing in the work of Pollock in the United States, as well as with historians in Romania, looked for clues in Athens and presents unknown sides of the case.

Chronicles

Bulgarian media reported that the painting belonged to the collection of Ceausescu, who reportedly gave it to a confidant before his execution in 1989. The official’s daughter married a Greek, and years later the painting was found in Athens. With data on the soldier at her disposal, “K” tried to match some details. Romanian historian Stezarel Olaru, who studied the archives of the State Security Service Securitate, confirmed that this is a real person. The national archives of the country have a list of a colonel with the same name, who apparently retired from the army in 1982. “Most of the paintings of the Ceausescu family were confiscated in 1990, but their descendants managed to get them back years after they claimed them in court. These were the works of famous Romanian artists, I had never heard of Pollock before,” says Olaru, not ruling out the possibility.

“K” contacted the person who had this job in Athens. However, he chose not to make public statements while the case remains open. According to one version, which “K” cannot yet refer to, the Romanian military won the favor of Ceausescu because he allegedly guaranteed his safety when he negotiated an end to a major miners’ strike in the west of the country.

It is not yet known whether the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office to fight organized crime was mobilized after the complaint. According to Bulgarian media reports, the country’s police have already collected information and are investigating a suspicious deal for the sale of an important work of art. According to one version, a man originally from Crete and doing business in Bulgaria allegedly approached a member of the Greek family and introduced him to the Bulgarian, whom he introduced as a supposed art connoisseur and potential political player. He, as an intermediary, will take over the sale of the painting.

A certified genuine Pollock painting can be worth millions of euros. However, the corresponding work, not verified for authenticity and “attributed” to the artist, can be sold for only a few tens of thousands of euros. In this case, the price depends on who the final recipient is and what information he considers reliable.

The painting was probably transported without a crate on the way to Bulgaria, and it is not clear if export permission was requested from the National Gallery as expected. During a police operation in Sofia, a Bulgarian intermediary and three Greeks were arrested. The Bulgarians, through Europol, asked for help from the Prosecutor’s Office of Crete in the fight against organized crime, since at least one of those arrested is a native of the island. Police officers from Crete left for Athens and on the morning of February 19 conducted searches in two apartments and a warehouse. They confiscated brushes, stamps and works of small and large sizes attributed to Greek and foreign artists. A police source told K that the works would be checked for authenticity, without specifying which expert would conduct the investigation.

The Greek family member who owned the Pollock painting was held for 24 hours in Bulgaria before being released. So far, according to his lawyer, a criminal case has been initiated against him. According to K’s information, family members had previously sued two art historians in Greece for questioning the authenticity of works they had sold.

The prosecutor’s office in Sofia announced that an initial analysis of the painting showed that the colors were similar to those used in Pollock’s time. However, a commission of three Bulgarian experts, according to media reports from a neighboring country, recommends patience, pointing out that this element is not enough for a final conclusion, and suggests further analyses. “Because of the ongoing investigation, we can not share any other information,” — said “K” representative of the National Gallery of Bulgaria.

A Greek family member who owned a painting attributed to an American artist was detained for 24 hours in Bulgaria before being released.

Looking for hairs in paint

“Even if this work is genuine, which I highly doubt, it has no place on the market, since there is no longer an authority that would certify it,” explains K. and the director of the consulting company Art Fraud, American Colette Loll. Insights, which specializes in detecting fake art. “If this work was from a legitimate collection, if it belonged to a famous American actress, it would be recorded somewhere. It would exist in a photograph, in heritage documents, in someone’s memory,” he adds.

A few years ago, she was assigned to solve a mystery. For nearly six decades, Pollock’s widow, artist Lee Krasner, and his mistress Ruth Kligman have argued over the authenticity of the work attributed to him. Kligman claimed that the artist created it for her in the summer of 1956, just a few weeks before he died in a car accident. The specialists of the Pollock-Krasner Foundation rejected this version and refused to include the work in their catalogs.

The investigation involved chemist Nick Petraco, who had previously worked for many years in the crime laboratory of the New York Police Department. Now he approaches any painting investigation like a crime scene. “Of the 100 paintings attributed to Pollock that I examined, only one was genuine,” he tells K. Today he is a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and, among other things, his method is aimed at analyzing hairs, fibers, dust and other elements. , which could get on the picture and get under the paint.

In the case of the Kligman painting, in addition to other evidence gathered, Petraco also found polar bear fur. The discovery surprised him at first. But in the attic of Pollock’s house in East Hampton, the polar bear carpet was still stored, so the connection was automatic. The discovery indicated exactly where this painting could have been created. “Even this painting, with its documented origin story and evidence in its favor, has not been fully accepted by the art market. Because the art market is not risk-averse,” notes Lol.

She talks about paintings stuck in a gray area, in “purgatory.” In 1996, the Pollock-Krasner Foundation terminated the commission that certifies the work of the American artist. In recent years, there has been a tendency in the affairs of relevant institutions, as well as private art historians, to refrain from assessing authenticity. In the event that their opinion does not coincide with that of the collector or owner of the work, there is always the risk of legal action against them. Therefore, they prefer not to get involved in legal adventures.

The International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) now takes over the authentication of Pollock’s work. IFAR Executive Director Dr. Sharon Fletcher wrote to “K” that they had not investigated the picture in Bulgaria and the authorities of the Balkan country had not yet turned to them for help.

Additional Research

Petrako expresses doubts about the authenticity of the painting found in Bulgaria. In the past, he says, forgers have tried to copy Pollock’s movements using colors and canvases appropriate to his era. According to him, a more detailed analysis of any element that could get under the paint, as well as a handwriting study of the signature, should be carried out. Lol adds that period paint can be easily bought even online.

“There are various myths around Pollock because he drank a lot of alcohol and gave away some of his paintings to pay off his debts. But I don’t think it has happened many times,” Lol notes, adding that various narratives have been built around this information. She recalls the case of John Darren Ray, who between 2005 and 2014 sold various works that he presented as Pollock’s. He claimed to have found them while renovating the basement of his house. The previous owner was a close friend of Pollock and his wife, so Re used a true story to create his story. He managed to extort about $800,000 from a pharmacist in the US until the fraud was discovered by the FBI, the perpetrator confessed and was jailed.

“People think that art fraud is a victimless crime, that only the rich pay for it. But this is a crime against historical records. “If something is inserted into the work of an artist, although it does not belong there, it takes an undeserved place in history,” Lol notes. “I view these cases as crimes against culture.”