Giulano Ruffini

Giulano Ruffini (born 1945) is a French art collector who has discovered a number of paintings that have been authenticated as being by old masters but some of which are suspected to be forgeries.[1][2][3][4][5][6]

Investigation started in 2014.[7]

Painter Lino Frongia is suspected as author.[8][9][10]

Aude Buresi issued two arrest warrants in 2019 calling for the extradition of Frongia and Ruffini from Italy to France, but in 2020 Italian appeals court dismissed all nine of Buresi’s accusations against Frongia.[7] In 2021 Ruffini was under an investigation by Italian fiscal authorities about 2013 - 2017 taxes.[7] In 2022 Ruffini and his son Mathieu Ruffini were justified in Italy on charges of tax evasion.[11]

Works

Ruffini said that he was lucky enough to find paintings that could have been done by Jan or Pieter Brueghel, Van Dyck, Correggio, Bronzino, Parmigianino, Solario, Van Bassen, Grimmer, Coorte and others.[12]

Among involved paintings:

• Orazio Gentileschi. "David Contemplating the Head of Goliath"
• Portrait of Cardinal Borgia after Velazquez
• Correggio (school of). "Head of Christ"[7]
• El Greco. "San Francesco"
• Frans Hals. "Portrait of a Gentleman" (Sotheby's, 2011)[13][14][15][16][17][18]
• Cranach. "Venus with a Veil" (Prince of Liechtenstein's collection)[19]
• Parmigianino. "Saint Jerome". (Sotheby’s, 2012)[20][21][22]
• Bronzino. "Saint Cosmos"[23]

See also

• André Borie

References

1. "Meet the man at the centre of the Cranach mystery". cached
2. "Who was André Borie? (ctd.) - Art History News - by Bendor Grosvenor".
3. "Cranach (suite de l'affaire) : interview de Giuliano Ruffini, le vrai propriétaire du tableau". 19 April 2016. Archived from the original on 24 January 2020. Retrieved 14 June 2016.
4. "Un corbeau sème le trouble dans le monde de la peinture ancienne". 15 March 2016.
5. "Giulano Ruffini, l'ancien propriétaire de la Vénus attribuée à Cranach saisie par la police se confie au JdA - LeJournaldesArts.fr - 14 avril 2016".
6. "Serious doubts grow over Old Masters sold by Giulano Ruffini". Archived from the original on 2016-10-14. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
7. "Is This Man the Evil Genius Behind the Old-Master Forgery Spree Called the 'Crime of the Century'? We Paid Him a Visit to Find Out". 26 April 2021.
8. "Old Master fakes scandal: Warrant issued for dealer Giuliano Ruffini as painter Lino Frongia arrested". 13 September 2019.
9. "Painter linked to Old Master forgery case appeals arrest warrant". 31 October 2019.
10. "Old Master scandal dealt fresh blow as Court of Appeal rejects arrest warrant". 6 March 2020.
11. ""Non era evasione fiscale", assolti i Ruffini - Cronaca - ilrestodelcarlino.it". 30 April 2022.
12. "The man at the centre of the Old Master fakes scandal". 6 October 2016.
13. "Sotheby's takes Mark Weiss to court over contested Frans Hals". 8 February 2017.
14. "'The law has to fall on someone': Seller of allegedly fake Frans Hals must pay Sotheby's $5.3m for cancelled sale, judge insists". 24 November 2020.
15. "Sotheby's settles claim against London dealer Mark Weiss in Frans Hals case". April 2019.
16. "Court case over 'modern forgery' Frans Hals concludes but judgment reserved until summer". 11 April 2019.
17. "Serious doubts grow over Old Masters sold by Giulano Ruffini". 9 October 2016.
18. "Seller contests having to repay Sotheby's for allegedly forged Frans Hals". 16 November 2020.
19. "'Cranach' painting of Venus at centre of Old Masters fakes scandal must be returned to Prince of Liechtenstein, court rules". 19 April 2021.
20. "Old Master saga: Expert hired by vendor to prove Saint Jerome's authenticity says it is a fake". 3 July 2018.
21. "US court orders collector to repay Sotheby's $1.2m for Parmigianino fake". 8 November 2018.
22. "Saint Jerome once owned by controversial collector Giulano Ruffini sent for technical tests". 17 October 2016.
23. "Alleged Bronzino seized from the Alana Collection in connection with ongoing Old Master scandal". 21 January 2020.