During an investigation conducted by the German police, 20 allegedly fake paintings of world-renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso, Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt van Rijn were discovered.
Investigators operating under the name "Dora Maar" have been investigating since the beginning of this year a 77-year-old German national and other suspects suspected of artistic fraud.
Further investigation revealed that he was also planning to sell the painting “Staalmeesters” of Rembrandt van Rijn for the sum of 120 million Swiss francs. The bizarre thing about this case – the original painting “Staalmeesters” is actually in the collection of the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum.
The suspect also tried to sell 19 other fake works and stated that they were of world-famous artists.
Among them were the following paintings:
-Citykeeper/Councillor of Rembrandt van Rijn
-Saint Sebastian by Peter Paul Rubens
-Mary with child by Anthony van Dyck
-Dora Maar by Pablo Picasso
-Francois Gilot by Pablo Picasso
-2 painted ceramic vases by Pablo Picasso
-1945 composition by Juan Miro
-Study of a Head by Amadeo Modigliani
-Nostalgia 1935 by Frida Kahlo
The investigation is not yet complete. All seized paintings will be intensively inspected by experts in the next few weeks.
Main Image: De Staalmeesters - Rembrandt van Rijn , Courtesy Rijksmuseum