29 non-disclosed FAKE RODINS coming to the Las Cruces Museum of Art

Updated on August 31, 2008 with email correspondence, -below monograph-, to Las Cruces Museum of Art's Museum Manager Lisa Pugh




















This so-called "Auguste Rodin - Monumental Head of St. John the Baptist" is one of the 29 posthumous non-disclosed -fake- Auguste Rodins, all with counterfeit "A. Rodin" or "Rodin" signatures applied, coming to the Las Cruces Museum of Art on September 5, 2008 in the titled exhibition: Rodin, In His Own Words, Selections from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation.

What proof is there that this so-called "Monumental Head of St. John the Baptist," listed above as "Cast in 1985" by the Godard foundry, is a posthumous fake with a counterfeit "A Rodin" signature?

However it may be argued by those with self-interest, Auguste Rodin died in 1917 and the dead don't sculpt, much less sign anything.

CONCLUSION

To learn more about one of the largest 2oth to 21st-century art frauds and the violation of Auguste Rodin’s 1916 Will by a corrupt Musee Rodin who: 1) does not reproduce in bronze from Auguste Rodin’s original plasters, 2) posthumously applies counterfeit “Rodin” or “A. Rodin” signatures to their second-generation-removed -FAKES-, 3) does not limit editions to twelve as promoted, 4) has allowed the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation to pick the color/patina of a bronze they in turn promote as an original Auguste Rodin and 5) falsely attributes life-casts and altered work to Auguste Rodin, link to:

Rodin: In His Own Words FRAUD, the Iris & B. Geral...

PRINCIPALS:
Lisa Pugh
Museum Manager
Las Cruces Museum of Art
491 N Main
Las Cruces, NM 88001
(575) 541-2137
lpugh@las-cruces.org
www.las-cruces.org

Judith Sobol
Director
Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation
1801 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 435
Los Angeles, CA 90067
(310) 277-4600
jsobol@ibgcf.org
www.cantorfoundation.org

CORRESPONDENCE:
August 23, 2008

Lisa Pugh
Museum Manager
Las Cruces Museum of Art
491 N Main
Las Cruces, NM 88001
(575) 541-2137
lpugh@las-cruces.org
www.las-cruces.org

Note: Footnotes are enclosed with { }.

Dear Ms. Pugh:

The Las Cruces Museum of Art’s upcoming “Rodin: In His Own Words” exhibition is a -fraud-. 29 of the 35 non-disclosed reproductions in this exhibition are outright -fakes- with counterfeit signatures posthumously applied between 1925 and 1995.

Auguste Rodin died in 1917.

Yet, the Las Cruces Museum of Art’s promotional material online promotes it as: “35 bronze sculptures by Auguste Rodin {that} explores the range of Rodin’s artistic legacy,”{1} not to mention the museum’s published Summer 2008 newsletter promoting them as: “original - either cast in bronze during Rodin’s lifetime or cast posthumously according to his explicit wishes and instructions.”{2}

Aside whether you are asking the public to suspend disbelief or just believe, the dead don’t sculpt and one legal definition of “legacy” is: “a gift by will, esp. of personal property.”{3}

In Auguste Rodin’s 1916 Will, he gave, the State of France, “the reproduction rights to objects given by him.”{4}

Since Auguste Rodin and the State of France understood they were reproductions in 1916, why are the 6 possible lifetime reproductions in this exhibition, not to mention the 29 non-disclosed posthumous fakes, fully disclosed at best as “reproductions” in 2008?

Just in case you and/or your colleagues’ believe that these 29 non-disclosed fakes adhere to French Law, Las Cruces Museum of Art is not in France and New Mexico is not a French province.

As for legitimate French laws, the March 3, 1981 French decree no. 81.255, Article 9, in part, states: “All facsimiles, casts of casts, copies, or other reproductions of an original work of art as set out in Article 71 of Appendix III of the General Code of Taxes, executed after the date of effectiveness of the present decree, must carry in a visible and indelible manner the notation ‘Reproduction’.”{5}

Now, under U.S. Copyright Law, the “Rights of Attribution - shall not apply to reproductions.”{6}

Finally, and respectfully, this is a defining moment for you and your colleagues at the Las Cruces Museum of Art. I hope you and you colleagues will practice some connoisseurship and courage and give full and honest disclosure to these contentious issues of authenticity so the public can possibly give -informed consent-{7} on whether they would like to voluntarily attend this exhibition.

In the interest of connoisseurship, here are two links to assist you and your colleagues.

First, to read “29 non-disclosed FAKE RODINS at the Las Cruces Museum of Art,” link to:

29 non-disclosed FAKE RODINS coming to the Las Cru...

Second, to read “Rodin: In His Own Words FRAUD, the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Foundation's touring road show of 29 non-disclosed FAKES,” link to:

Rodin: In His Own Words FRAUD, the Iris & B. Geral...

In closing, if I can be of any further assistance to help the Las Cruces Museum of Art and its’ staff achieve that goal of full and honest disclosure, much less answer any questions you and you colleagues may have, please contact me.

I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Gary Arseneau
artist, creator of original lithographs, scholar & author
Fernandina Beach, Florida
gwarseneau{at}hotmail.com (email)
garyarseneau.blogspot.com (blog)
garyarseneau.com (website)

FOOTNOTES:
1) http://www.las-cruces.org/public-services/museums/rodin/default_rodin.html

2) http://www.las-cruces.org/public-services/museums/default.shtm

3) p. 901, Seventh Edition Black’s Law Dictionary, ISBN 0-314-22864-0

4) Auguste Rodin’s 1916 Will, in part, stated: “notwithstanding the transfer of artistic ownership authorized to the State of M. Rodin, the latter expressly reserves for himself the enjoyment, during his life, of the reproduction rights of those objects given by him.” (Page 285 in the former Musee Rodin curator Monique Laurent’s “Observations on Rodin and His Founders” essay, published in the National Gallery of Art’s published 1981 Rodin Rediscovered ISBN 0-89468-001-3 (pbk)

5) P. 281, Jean Chatelain’s “Original in Sculpture,” 1981 Rodin Rediscovered ISBN 0-89468-001-3 (pbk)

6) “§ 106A. Rights of certain authors to attribution and integrity37 (a) Rights of Attribution and Integrity. — Subject to section 107 and independent of the exclusive rights provided in section 106, the author of a work of visual art — (1) shall have the right — (A) to claim authorship of that work, and (3) The rights described in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a) shall not apply to any reproduction...”

7) “Agreement, approval, or permission as to some act or purpose, esp. given voluntarily by a competent person.” p. 300, Seventh Edition Black’s Law Dictionary, ISBN 0-314-22864-0