Art Forgers Receive Light Sentence in German Court

Wolfgang Beltracchi, 60, received six years in prison for his role in a massive art forgery ring in Germany that netted him in excess of 10 million euros ($14 million) for 14 fake artworks.

Falsely attributed to famous early 20th century artists such as Max Ernst, Max Pechstein, Heinrich Campendonk, Andre Derain, Fernand Leger and Kees van Dongen, Beltracchi's paintings were backed by fabricated provenances and authenticated by experts. Some were sold on the art market through reputable dealers and auction houses including Christie's, Sotheby's and Cologne's Kunsthaus Lempertz to collectors who included actor Steve Martin.

The scheme unraveled when a buyer became suspicious of his artwork and sent it to scientists to examine. "Red Picture with Horses," sold by Cologne's Lempertz auction house in 2006 for €2.9 million, included a paint not used during the period it was said to have been painted.

The forger's wife, Helene Beltracchi, got a 4-year term; her sister was given a 21-month suspended sentence; and a fourth associate, Otto Schulte-Kellinghaus, got 5 years at the Cologne regional court.

The Beltracchi couple was ordered to pay 980,000 Swiss francs ($1.12 million) to the court after they confessed.

A number of civil suits have ensued. The total number of Beltracchi's forged artworks might be much greater, with some estimates of about €34 million damage to the market.