German investigators have uncovered a trove of suspected forged artworks worth millions of euros, including pieces falsely attributed to Pablo Picasso, Peter Paul Rubens, and
Rembrandt van Rijn.
The Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (LKA) announced on Thursday that the operation spanned across Germany and neighboring countries. Several individuals were briefly detained as part of the investigation but have since been released, authorities said. More information is expected to be shared on Friday.
The Amberg public prosecutor’s office worked alongside the LKA’s specialized art crime unit to track down the forgeries. According to officials, some of the counterfeits were so expertly crafted that they could have fetched tens of millions on the art market.
The seized works purportedly mimicked the styles of some of history’s most celebrated artists. Picasso, the Spanish co-founder of Cubism, revolutionized modern art with his geometric interpretations of form. Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens was renowned for his grand Baroque compositions filled with energy and movement, while Dutch master Rembrandt earned lasting fame for his dramatic use of light and shadow — a hallmark of his chiaroscuro technique.
The investigation highlights the ongoing challenge of art forgery in Europe’s thriving but often opaque art market, where even seasoned collectors can be deceived by convincing imitations. Photo by Dickelbers, Wikimedia commons.