Latest news with #BillPallot
Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
French antiques expert convicted
PARIS: A French court on Wednesday sentenced a top antiques expert to jail for duping the Palace of Versailles and wealthy collectors into buying furniture he had helped build, claiming it dated from the 18th century. The ruling from the court in Pontoise, north of Paris, caps one of the biggest forgery scandals to rock the rarified world of France's top museums. Bill Pallot, 61, along with five other people as well as a prominent gallery, stood trial in the spring. Pallot and woodcarver Bruno Desnoues were convicted of having produced and authenticated chairs they sold, which they passed off as historic pieces that once adorned the rooms of the likes of Madame du Barry, the mistress of Louis XV, or of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Customers duped by the pieces included the Palace of Versailles and wealthy collectors including a member of the Qatari royal family. Pallot was sentenced to a four-year term including four months behind bars, fined 200,000 euros ($230,000) and handed a five-year ban on working as an expert. He will not go to jail having spent time in detention after his arrest. Known for his distinctive long hair and three-piece suits, Pallot has been described by magazine Vanity Fair as "the world's leading expert on the works of 18th-century France." Paris Match branded him "the Bernard Madoff of art", referring to the late American financier who devised a notorious pyramid scheme. - 'A little harsh' - Pallot said the sentence was "a little harsh financially," although he was satisfied that his apartment would not be seized, contrary to the prosecutor's demand. "We thought we'd do it for fun, to see if the art market would notice or not," Pallot has told the court. "It went without a hitch," he added. Desnoues, a prominent woodcarver, was sentenced to a three-year term including four months behind bars, and fined 100,000 euros. In court, he presented himself as a humble artisan uninterested in money and motivated only by his love of art and "the pleasure of working, of making beautiful things". A lawyer for the Palace of Versailles implied the men got away too easily, denouncing "the particularly diabolical manoeuvres" of the two main defendants and pointing to "clean, white-collar trafficking." "When you are caught red-handed, you are not sentenced to very long prison terms," said Corinne Hershkovitch. "We feel that we are not protected for the future," she added. - 'Pallot's blessing' - The pair pocketed nearly 1.2 million euros in commissions. Galleries and auction houses made even more, selling fake furniture pieces to the Palace of Versailles and billionaire collectors. After the French Revolution, the Palace of Versailles was completely emptied, with thousands of royal furniture pieces and other items dispersed at revolutionary sales. Nearly half of Pallot and Desnoues' fakes were acquired through various channels by the Palace of Versailles, which has since the 1950s sought to refurnish the former home of French royalty. "Indeed, Versailles's decision to purchase the chairs hinged on Pallot's blessing," Vanity Fair said in 2018. "And based on Pallot's imprimatur, the government classified two of his fake lots as national treasures." Accused of failing to carry out sufficient checks, the prestigious Kraemer antique gallery was acquitted. The public prosecutor had sought a fine of 700,000 euros. Intermediaries between the forgers and the final buyers believed they had been misled by Pallot's reputation, and charges for most of them were dismissed during the eight-year-long investigation. Unnoticed for years, the scam caused an estimated 4.5 million euros in damage. The fraud was discovered by accident during an investigation into the lavish lifestyle of a Portuguese couple who were laundering Desnoues' money. When the scandal erupted in 2016, the ministry of culture swiftly ordered an audit of Versailles's acquisitions policy.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
French antiques expert who duped Versailles sentenced to jail
A French court on Wednesday sentenced a top antiques expert to jail for duping the Palace of Versailles and wealthy collectors into buying furniture he had helped build, claiming it dated from the 18th century. The ruling from the court in Pontoise, north of Paris, caps one of the biggest forgery scandals to rock the rarified world of France's top museums. Bill Pallot, 61, along with five other people as well as a prominent gallery, stood trial in the spring. Pallot and woodcarver Bruno Desnoues were convicted of having produced and authenticated chairs they sold, which they passed off as historic pieces that once adorned the rooms of the likes of Madame du Barry, the mistress of Louis XV, or of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Customers duped by the pieces included the Palace of Versailles and wealthy collectors including a member of the Qatari royal family. Pallot was sentenced to a four-year term including four months behind bars, fined 200,000 euros ($230,000) and handed a five-year ban on working as an expert. He will not go to jail having spent time in detention after his arrest. Known for his distinctive long hair and three-piece suits, Pallot has been described by magazine Vanity Fair as "the world's leading expert on the works of 18th-century France." Paris Match branded him "the Bernard Madoff of art", referring to the late American financier who devised a notorious pyramid scheme. - 'A little harsh' - Pallot said the sentence was "a little harsh financially," although he was satisfied that his apartment would not be seized, contrary to the prosecutor's demand. "We thought we'd do it for fun, to see if the art market would notice or not," Pallot has told the court. "It went without a hitch," he added. Desnoues, a prominent woodcarver, was sentenced to a three-year term including four months behind bars, and fined 100,000 euros. In court, he presented himself as a humble artisan uninterested in money and motivated only by his love of art and "the pleasure of working, of making beautiful things". A lawyer for the Palace of Versailles implied the men got away too easily, denouncing "the particularly diabolical manoeuvres" of the two main defendants and pointing to "clean, white-collar trafficking." "When you are caught red-handed, you are not sentenced to very long prison terms," said Corinne Hershkovitch. "We feel that we are not protected for the future," she added. - 'Pallot's blessing' - The pair pocketed nearly 1.2 million euros in commissions. Galleries and auction houses made even more, selling fake furniture pieces to the Palace of Versailles and billionaire collectors. After the French Revolution, the Palace of Versailles was completely emptied, with thousands of royal furniture pieces and other items dispersed at revolutionary sales. Nearly half of Pallot and Desnoues' fakes were acquired through various channels by the Palace of Versailles, which has since the 1950s sought to refurnish the former home of French royalty. "Indeed, Versailles's decision to purchase the chairs hinged on Pallot's blessing," Vanity Fair said in 2018. "And based on Pallot's imprimatur, the government classified two of his fake lots as national treasures." Accused of failing to carry out sufficient checks, the prestigious Kraemer antique gallery was acquitted. The public prosecutor had sought a fine of 700,000 euros. Intermediaries between the forgers and the final buyers believed they had been misled by Pallot's reputation, and charges for most of them were dismissed during the eight-year-long investigation. Unnoticed for years, the scam caused an estimated 4.5 million euros in damage. The fraud was discovered by accident during an investigation into the lavish lifestyle of a Portuguese couple who were laundering Desnoues' money. When the scandal erupted in 2016, the ministry of culture swiftly ordered an audit of Versailles's acquisitions policy. amd-amb-as/sjw/yad
France 24
2 days ago
- France 24
French antiques expert who duped Versailles sentenced to jail
The ruling from the court in Pontoise, north of Paris, caps one of the biggest forgery scandals to rock the rarified world of France's top museums. Bill Pallot, 61, along with five other people as well as a prominent gallery, stood trial in the spring. Pallot and woodcarver Bruno Desnoues were convicted of having produced and authenticated chairs they sold, which they passed off as historic pieces that once adorned the rooms of the likes of Madame du Barry, the mistress of Louis XV, or of Queen Marie-Antoinette. Customers duped by the pieces included the Palace of Versailles and wealthy collectors including a member of the Qatari royal family. Pallot was sentenced to a four-year term including four months behind bars, fined 200,000 euros ($230,000) and handed a five-year ban on working as an expert. He will not go to jail having spent time in detention after his arrest. Known for his distinctive long hair and three-piece suits, Pallot has been described by magazine Vanity Fair as "the world's leading expert on the works of 18th-century France." Paris Match branded him "the Bernard Madoff of art", referring to the late American financier who devised a notorious pyramid scheme. - 'A little harsh' - Pallot said the sentence was "a little harsh financially," although he was satisfied that his apartment would not be seized, contrary to the prosecutor's demand. "We thought we'd do it for fun, to see if the art market would notice or not," Pallot has told the court. "It went without a hitch," he added. Desnoues, a prominent woodcarver, was sentenced to a three-year term including four months behind bars, and fined 100,000 euros. In court, he presented himself as a humble artisan uninterested in money and motivated only by his love of art and "the pleasure of working, of making beautiful things". A lawyer for the Palace of Versailles implied the men got away too easily, denouncing "the particularly diabolical manoeuvres" of the two main defendants and pointing to "clean, white-collar trafficking." "When you are caught red-handed, you are not sentenced to very long prison terms," said Corinne Hershkovitch. "We feel that we are not protected for the future," she added. 'Pallot's blessing' The pair pocketed nearly 1.2 million euros in commissions. Galleries and auction houses made even more, selling fake furniture pieces to the Palace of Versailles and billionaire collectors. After the French Revolution, the Palace of Versailles was completely emptied, with thousands of royal furniture pieces and other items dispersed at revolutionary sales. Nearly half of Pallot and Desnoues' fakes were acquired through various channels by the Palace of Versailles, which has since the 1950s sought to refurnish the former home of French royalty. "Indeed, Versailles's decision to purchase the chairs hinged on Pallot's blessing," Vanity Fair said in 2018. "And based on Pallot's imprimatur, the government classified two of his fake lots as national treasures." Accused of failing to carry out sufficient checks, the prestigious Kraemer antique gallery was acquitted. The public prosecutor had sought a fine of 700,000 euros. Intermediaries between the forgers and the final buyers believed they had been misled by Pallot's reputation, and charges for most of them were dismissed during the eight-year-long investigation. Unnoticed for years, the scam caused an estimated 4.5 million euros in damage. The fraud was discovered by accident during an investigation into the lavish lifestyle of a Portuguese couple who were laundering Desnoues' money. When the scandal erupted in 2016, the ministry of culture swiftly ordered an audit of Versailles's acquisitions policy.
Local France
2 days ago
- Local France
French antiques expert who duped Versailles sentenced to jail
The ruling from the court in Pontoise, north of Paris, caps one of the biggest forgery scandals to rock the rarified world of France's top museums in recent years. Bill Pallot, 61, along with five other people as well as a prominent gallery stood trial in early spring. Pallot and woodcarver Bruno Desnoues were convicted of having themselves produced chairs they sold on, passing them off as historic pieces that once adorned the rooms of the likes of Madame du Barry, the mistress of Louis XV, or Queen Marie-Antoinette. Customers duped by the pieces included the Palace of Versailles and wealthy collectors including a Qatari prince. On Wednesday, Pallot was sentenced to a four-year term including four months behind bars, fined €200,000 and handed a five-year ban on working as an expert. He will not go to jail having spent time in detention after his arrest. "We thought we'd do it for fun, to see if the art market would notice or not," Pallot told the court. "It went without a hitch," he added. Advertisement Desnoues, a prominent woodcarver, was sentenced to a three-year term including four months behind bars, and fined €100,000. In court, he presented himself as a humble artisan uninterested in money and motivated only by his love of art and "the pleasure of working, of making beautiful things". The pair pocketed nearly €1.2 million in commissions. Galleries and auction houses made even more, selling fake furniture pieces to the Palace of Versailles and billionaire collectors. Accused of failing to carry out sufficient checks, the prestigious Kraemer antique gallery was acquitted. The public prosecutor had sought a fine of €700,000. Unnoticed for years, the scam caused an estimated €4.5 million in damage. When the scandal erupted in 2016, the ministry of culture swiftly ordered an audit of Versailles's acquisitions policy.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- The Guardian
French furniture expert and restorer guilty of fake 18th-century chair scam
A French furniture expert and a renowned restorer have been found guilty of conning the art world with a multimillion-euro scam in which they faked 18th-century chairs they claimed had adorned the rooms of historic figures including Marie Antoinette. In one of the biggest forgery scandals to hit the French art world for decades, the two men duped not just wealthy collectors including a Qatari prince but also the Palace of Versailles. The chateau, which before the French Revolution was home to Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, spent more than €1.5m (£1.3m) acquiring six royal chairs that were fakes. The case was seen as extremely damaging to France's reputation as a world centre for heritage and museum collections. After the police investigation began, in 2016 the ministry of culture ordered an audit of Versailles's acquisitions policy. Bill Pallot, 61, who was known as the world's leading expert on 18th-century royal French furniture, wrote the definitive book about seats of that era and was nicknamed Père La Chaise. On Wednesday he was given a four-year suspended prison sentence and a €200,000 fine. He was also sentenced to four months in prison, which he had already served on remand after his arrest. The judges ruled that between 2008 and 2015, Pallot was behind the scam in which he and one of France's most acclaimed woodcarvers and restorers, Bruno Desnoues, produced what the court in Pontoise heard were 'extraordinarily convincing' fake 18th-century chairs. The court was told that the scheme began as a bet between Pallot and Desnoues to see who could be duped by fake seats. Pallot told the trial: 'We said we'd do it as a game, to see if the art market noticed or not.' The men used old wooden frames of real 18th-century chairs as a base so that the dating of the wood could be authentic, but the trial was told that everything about the chairs was fake. Soon, through some of Paris's top galleries and auction houses, the chairs were selling for hundreds of thousands of euros each to wealthy collectors including a Qatari prince. The scam is estimated to have caused €4.5m in damages. Desnoues had previously worked as a restorer of furniture for the Château de Versailles, where he had once been commissioned for a restoration of Louis XVI's bed. He told the court: 'I'm into work and sculpture. I've never been passionate about money.' During the investigation, Desnoues's wife described the antiques world her husband worked in as 'a detestable environment where antique dealers want to make money at any cost'. Desnoues was given a three-year suspended prison sentence and a €100,000 fine. He was also given a four-month prison sentence, which he had already served on remand. The scam was discovered in 2014 when tax authorities noticed suspicious financial and property transactions for large sums being made by a couple outside Paris who had a relatively low income. A money-laundering investigation led police to find a link to Desnoues and what became known in France as the 'fake chair' scam. The investigation took nine years. Sign up to This is Europe The most pressing stories and debates for Europeans – from identity to economics to the environment after newsletter promotion Laurent Kraemer, an art and antiques dealer at the prestigious Kraemer Gallery, who sold four of the chairs, told the court he and his team were '100% convinced, without a doubt, that these were authentic chairs'. His gallery was acquitted of charges of negligence. Several experts told the court that the fraud was 'blatant' and could have been spotted if the fakes had been compared with real chairs at Versailles. One expert said anomalies in the chairs were visible to the naked eye, notably the absence of signs that the wood had retracted with time. Pallot told the court: 'It's said there is no such thing as the perfect crime. There's no such thing as a perfect fake either. We could have done better. We're not good forgers. We didn't make the wood retract.'
