Latest news with #Pallot
Business Recorder
11 hours 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
18 hours 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
19 hours 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
20 hours 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.
New York Times
26-03-2025
- New York Times
Art Expert Accused of Duping Prince and Palace of Versailles Stands Trial
Bill Pallot had an unparalleled passion for 18th-century French chairs that he turned into a lucrative career consulting with museums, galleries, collectors and the Palace of Versailles. He became a fixture in Parisian society and a celebrity in the art world, until he was felled by a former student who had become so steeped in antiques that he could — literally — taste a fake. At the height of his powers, Mr. Pallot's expertise and assurances of authenticity had helped convince French experts to designate multiple items as national treasures. He also used his renown to dupe deep-pocketed buyers, including Prince Abdullah bin Khalifa Al-Thani of Qatar, into believing they were purchasing genuine pieces of royal history. He attested to the authenticity of seating said to have belonged to Marie Antoinette and to the mistress of Louis XV, Madame du Barry. People believed so fully in Mr. Pallot because almost 40 years ago he wrote what was long considered the book on the topic: 'The Art of the Chair in 18th Century France,' which includes a preface by his friend, the antique enthusiast and fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. Now, Mr. Pallot is perhaps best known for using his knowledge of art history to hoodwink some of the most esteemed antique experts and buyers. On Tuesday, after years of investigations by the French police, Mr. Pallot and five others said to be involved in a scheme to unload fakes onto unsuspecting buyers attended the first day of a criminal trial in Pontoise, near Paris, where they stand accused of trafficking in counterfeit antique furniture. In 2016, the French culture ministry issued a statement saying that the police were investigating the authenticity of pieces of furniture valued at 2.7 million euros (about $2.9 million), including two Louis XV chairs, purchased by the Palace of Versailles. That inquiry led to the conclusion they were not authentic and to the arrest of Mr. Pallot the same year. In 2017, the scandal also changed how the French authorities authenticated antiques. But doubts about Mr. Pallot had begun to surface years before, most notably for his fellow antique dealer and former student, Charles Hooreman, who shared his concerns with Mr. Pallot, as well as with buyers and the French authorities. In 2018, Mr. Hooreman told Vanity Fair that he had considered Mr. Pallot his 'hero' after attending his art history lectures at the Sorbonne. He later entered the same profession as his teacher, but he became suspicious of his mentor based on conversations with a buyer and about the quantity of antiques surfacing. As far back as 2012, Mr. Hooreman said he had seen two folding benches that were being touted as having belonged to Princess Louise Élisabeth, the eldest daughter of King Louis XV. He felt compelled to test them. 'I licked the chair and voilà. I could taste the fraud,' he told Vanity Fair. Familiar with the methods used by master craftsmen for restoration, he recognized a trick used by a woodworker whom Mr. Pallot favored, Bruno Desnoues. Mr. Desnoues used melted licorice to give new wood an old feel. Mr. Desnoues is also on trial now and has admitted his role in the scheme. Mr. Pallot himself has widely admitted complicity but denies there are as many fakes as Mr. Hooreman has claimed. An investigative judge in France noted in a previous proceeding that a smiling Mr. Pallot had told the court about the origins of the deception: He and Mr. Desnoues had become curious about whether they could make a good fake one day while the craftsman was restoring authentic antiques, according to Le Monde. The trial — part of a broader upheaval over the prevalence of forgeries in the worlds of art and antiques — is slated to continue into next month. While Mr. Pallot could face years in prison, he told Le Parisien ahead of the proceeding that he hopes to explain himself to the court in the hopes it will find mitigating circumstances.
