The Big Story cover image

The Big Story

Inside one of the largest art frauds in history

Apr 30, 2024
Iconic Indigenous artist Norval Morrisseau's legacy is tarnished by a massive art fraud ring selling fake paintings. The podcast delves into the depths of the scheme, uncovering over a thousand forgeries and the exploitative practices behind them. The challenges faced by Canadian and Indigenous artists in combating art fraud are highlighted, emphasizing the importance of verifying authenticity before purchasing.
20:14

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The Morrisseau forgery scandal highlighted the prevalence of art fraud in the Indigenous art community, impacting genuine artists' livelihoods.
  • The discovery of over a thousand fake Morrisseau paintings exposed the existence of multiple forgery rings, prompting efforts to implement AI technology for authentication.

Deep dives

The Norval Morrisseau Saga

Norval Morrisseau, a renowned Indigenous artist known as the Picasso of the North, created unique artwork based on Ojibwe legends. Despite his success, he led a tumultuous adult life, struggling with substance abuse and financial mismanagement. The discovery of fake Morrisseau paintings in an auction sparked a series of events, leading to legal battles and revelations of extensive forgery rings producing thousands of counterfeit artworks.

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