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Wiiralt Found to Be Most Faked Artist
Hundreds of pictures hanging in Estonian homes signed by the artist Eduard Wiiralt could in fact be fakes.
An article published today by Eesti Ekspress concludes that Wiiralt is the most often counterfeited Estonian artist.
As one of the country's best-known artists, Wiiralt's works can be sold for good money, and his medium of choice - graphic art - is easier to copy than, say, paintings.
Phony Wiiralts are simply photocopied, given a forged autograph and placed in old-looking picture frames.
Gallery owners and antique merchants said other fakes that have turned up include artworks by Andrei Jegorov, Konrad Mägi, Johann Köler, Eerik Haamer and Richard Sagrits.
Ott Tammik
