The French State paid 2.7 million euros for the purchase which involved participation of chair expert Bill Pallot, who was arrested along with Parisian gallery owner Laurent Kraemer. Another art expert, Didier Rykner., discovered the fake and exposed arguments. Doubts about the authenticity of the furniture had also been expressed by another French antiques dealer, Charles Hooreman, a renowned expert in 18th century chairs.
The French art fraud office OCBC is currently investigating the crime. The fact is considered scandalous and will increase circumspection about authenticity on galleries and auctions. One of the most costly elements in the Palace of Versailles during the early years of the personal reign of Louis XIV and after was the furniture. Most of the furniture was sold during the French Revolution. The principal effort to restore and maintain Versailles was initiated later by Louis-Philippe, when he created the Musée de l’Histoire de France. In our century the museum is promoted as one of France’s foremost tourist attractions, with recent figures stating that nearly five million people visit the château and 8 to 10 million walk in the gardens, every year.
