Foreign palette: The real worth of copied paintings
The first weekend of March proved to be a tempestuous weekend for the French art world, attracting to the Fontainebleau Auction Hall not only local professionals but also enthusiasts from the world over. However, in order to really grasp this unusual event, we have to begin from the beginning.
Though he was not present, the spirit behind the event was actually the American billionaire Malcolm Forbes, the publisher of the Forbes magazine who had a passion for France and French art. He owned a chateau in France and his collection of paintings and sculptures often included copies when he was unable to acquire the originals.
Shortly before his death in 1990, Malcolm Forbes transferred not only his opulent treasure of creative works but his fervour for art as well to his son, Christopher, who has chosen to devote his life to his aesthetic passion rather than taking care of the family business which is today fairly successfully managed by his brother Steve.
Christopher Forbes sells his vast collection of the French Second Empire art and memorabilia at an auction in Fontainebleau
A considerable portion of the Forbes collection basically contains paintings of the Napoleon III reign (1852-1870) including many portraits of the emperor, especially one copy of a work done by the royal painter Hippolyte Flandrin, the original still hanging in the Versailles Palace.