The Most-Faked Artists in Art History: From Corot to Basquiat

Approximately 50% of the secondary art market is believed to be comprised of forgeries and misattributions. Among the most notable forgers is Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796–1875), whose works were replicated by a Belgian studio that produced 235 fakes in 1888. Honoré Daumier (1808–79) also encountered imitations, with a 1937 exhibition struggling to locate genuine pieces. In 2019, the Musée Rodin accused dealers of casting 1,700 unauthorized bronzes of Auguste Rodin (1840–1917). Only 53 out of 248 works by Frederic Remington (1861–1909) were authenticated. Posthumous fakes of Amedeo Modigliani (1884–1920) emerged, with one-third of the works seized at a 2017 Genoa exhibition. Salvador Dalí (1904–89) signed 350,000 blank sheets, fueling a counterfeit market. Andy Warhol (1928–87) is often forged, while Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960–88) saw a rise in fakes following a 2017 sale. Authentication methods include stylistic analysis, provenance, and scientific testing.