The Fake Renoir that Fooled Donald Trump

The Fake Renoir that Fooled Donald Trump

A curious story about former president Donald Trump and his art collection recently surfaced. In 2005, Donald Trump's biographer Tim O'Brien flew in the businessman's luxurious private jet to do an interview with him. It was when the biographer noticed a noteworthy painting by a famous Impressionist artist on the wall.

The painting in question? The 1881 masterpiece "Two Sisters (On The Terrace)" by none other than Pierre-Auguste Renoir, one of the greatest Impressionist artists of all time. There was only one problem; the painting already belonged to the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Institute attests to the authenticity of its artwork. They received the Impressionist painting in 1933, donated by a person who bought it from a gallerist who, in turn, purchased the picture from Renoir himself. As for Donald Trump - who was not yet president of the United States at the time of the interview - he insists that his artwork is the real deal and the one at the Art Institute of Chicago is fake.

Did Trump know he purchased a Renoir replica?

Was Trump aware of the non-authenticity of his artwork and wanted to brag about reproduction as if it was the original? Or could he have been tricked into buying a forgery? If the latter is true, he would not be the first to be deceived by a masterfully executed painting reproduction.

Although buying painting replicas and reproductions in the public domain is perfectly legal, when a painting is well-crafted and close to the original, it might lead to confusion and even accusations of forgery.

Throughout history, there's no shortage of instances when famous masterpieces by great artists were later found to be highly accomplished copies. These reproductions are so well-made that they even convince art experts and collectors.

In 2017, another instance of a fake Renoir hit the headlines in art periodicals; an antique dealer was sentenced to pay a gallerist $1.1 million over the sale of counterfeit artwork.

Where did Trump's Renoir come from?

Although Donald Trump doesn't admit his painting is a high-quality replica, there's some speculation regarding the origin of the notorious artwork. Some sources rumored that the painting came from a reproduction company located off the Mediterranean coast.

Upon further investigation, we narrowed our research to a reproduction company known as 1st-Art-Galley.com, a well-established enterprise in the art reproduction market. Firstly, since Tim O'Brien's account happened in 2005, we had to find companies that were in business by then; painting reproduction companies were rarer than today, and 1st Art Gallery's 20-year history would fit that timeframe.

Furthermore, we based our final assumption by digging through their website and analyzing their samples of artwork. Their production of Impressionist paintings, especially Renoir's, is impressively similar to the originals, showing the loose brushwork and vibrant colors employed by the French artist.

The Mysterious Origins of a Museum-quality Renoir Replica

We contacted www.1st-Art-Gallery.com to inquire about this story, but they didn't confirm or deny if Trump's Renoir replica came from their company. Their response stated that they do not share any information about purchases or clients, no matter who they are, leaving us to wonder.

In conclusion, we may never know for sure who sold the Renoir replica to former president Donald Trump. However, what we do know is that although the original is located at the Art Institute of Chicago and not in the hands of the former president, his replica is extremely faithful to Renoir's "Two Sisters (On The Terrace)".

1STAG INT LTD
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CY-6022 Larnaca, Cyprus
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We invite you to explore the over 500,000 paintings we offer on our website, and we are confident that you will find a piece of art that matches perfectly with your needs. Our customer service is available 24/7 to answer any questions you may have, as well as our Art Advisory service which provides assistance in helping you choose your artwork, free of charge.

This release was published on openPR.