Forthcoming Catalogue Raisonné on Brett Whiteley Exposes Fakes
A forthcoming publication on the late Australian artist Brett Whiteley (1939–1992), by respected art historian Kathie Sutherland, has caused considerable anxiety among Australian collectors and art world onlookers, who are not so much eager to see what she has included in the books, but more what she has excluded.
In mid-May, the revealed that Sutherland would be excluding any artworks of questionable authenticity from the 2,400-page, seven-volume catalogue raisonne, which is being touted as the comprehensive, definitive guide to the artist’s oeuvre. The exclusions are being supported by Whiteley’s ex-wife, Wendy—who has long warned of authenticity issues—and follows multiple cases of alleged fraud around the artist’s output. One such case, a highly publicized six-week trial at the Supreme Court
