Posted By: Thuy Vi
Posted Date: Nov 23, 2008 (10:46 PM)
VietNamNet Bridge � In a letter to the Vietnam News Agency correspondent in Hong Kong, the spokesman of Sotheby�s, Hong Kong branch, stated that they don�t sell fake paintings by well-known Vietnamese painter Bui Xuan Phai.
The statement of Sotheby�s Hong Kong was released after the media reported that the son of the late painter, Bui Thanh Phuong, said that at an auction of Southeast Asian modern and contemporary paintings on October 16, 2008, Sotheby�s Hong Kong sold counterfeit Phai paintings.
Sotheby�s completely rejected Phuong�s allegation. It said that all paintings by Bui Xuan Phai that Sotheby�s sold in summer and autumn auctions this year were authentic.
In the auction in early October, Sotheby�s Hong Kong offered five paintings by Phai, and three were sold. According to Bui Thanh Phuong, only �Red Cat� was his father�s.
The �Red Cat� painting was sold for HK$50,000 (over $6,000) while the two others at HK$150,000 (over $19,000) and HK$162,500 (over $20,000).
In an auction this April, Sotheby�s Hong Kong also sold a Phai painting worth $124,216, named �Before the show�. According to Tran Khanh Chuong, Chairman of the Vietnam Art Association, that painting is �surely fake� because the real one is now at the Vietnam Art Museum.
Sotheby�s Hong Kong affirms that it has not sold fake paintings by late painter Bui Xuan Phai.
According to its press releases, Sotheby�s Hong Kong was proud that its auction in early October was a great success with income reached over HK$71 million (over $9.1 million), outstripping its expectations.
In its letter to VNA, Sotheby�s Hong Kong stressed that it is the world�s leading auctioneer and it would continue introducing Vietnamese artworks to the world.
Painter Bui Thanh Phuong said he is considering suing Sotheby�s for copyright infringement.
In 1997, Christie�s sold a Phai painting which was later proven to be a fake by a Vietnamese painter. Christie�s had to return money and apologise to the buyer.
(Source: TTXVN)
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