Peter Engels paintings are being counterfeited

Because work by Peter Engels is sought after and increasing in value.

Today, more than ever, art is forged. Devaluation causes investors to flee to safe investments such as art. Forged paintings by painter Peter Engels have already been discovered several times. Counterfeiters copy paintings by best-selling artists. Or better yet, forgers create new paintings in the style and signature of an emerging artist.

Peter Engels: “The best tip I can give to art collectors who want to buy a painting with my name on it is to do your own research.”

Counterfeiting art is a criminal offense, but that doesn’t seem to overshadow the huge profits counterfeiters can make. Peter Engels was informed at the beginning of 2022 that one of his works was being offered for a second time at an auction. Peter Engels does not make copies or a second painting of the same kind. An aattentive art collector notified the auction house and the forged lot was immediately blocked.

The person who offered the painting at the auction told a thin story that he had also bought the painting himself and even received a certificate of authenticity with it. With his photos of the forged painting, he even showed photos where Peter Engels poses next to the real painting.

Peter Engels immediately saw that it was a forgery, but understands that the careless buyer can be misled. Even the experts of the auction house were deceived.

Art forgery is a criminal offense even if you cannot tell the difference between a real and a fake painting.

7 points on how to recognize an original from a fake Peter Engels painting

1. Do your own research. Read about the life and work of Peter Engels at www.peterengels.eu
2. Look at the signature that is always on the front of the canvas, bottom left or right. Usually Peter Engels scratches his signature in the wet paint. But occasionally the signature is painted with white or black paint.
3. Peter Engels has mainly used the pallet knife in recent decades. This gives the paint a thick texture. The paint is applied very thick in some places. Only occasionally does Peter Engels paint with a brush. Watch out for prints. So if the paint lacks the texture, an alarm bell may already ring.
4. He has been painting in sepia colors mixed by himself for more than 15 years. His paintings are never brightly colored. The colors vary between gray, brown and blue sepia tones. They sometimes contain brighter colors, but usually they are only small dashes.
5. Recent paintings are painted on firm and thick Brussels cotton. On the back of the canvas you can see the brown and coarsely woven cotton.
6. The canvas is stretched on a wooden frame. Recent paintings usually have a museum-quality aluminum frame.
7. A certificate of authenticity always contains the date and signature of Peter Engels.

If you really want to be sure, you can let Peter Engels appraise the painting himself. Contact him via art@peterengels.eu