M. Knoedler & Co.

M. Knoedler & Co. was one of the oldest and most prestigious commercial art galleries in the United States, operating for over 165 years. Founded in the mid-19th century, it played a pivotal role in introducing American collectors to Old Master paintings and major works by European and later American modernists. The gallery's reputation was ultimately destroyed by a massive art forgery scandal that led to its sudden closure and a series of high-profile lawsuits.

History

The firm was established in New York City in 1846 by Michael Knoedler, a native of Stuttgart who had previously worked for the Parisian art dealer Goupil & Cie. Initially acting as an American branch for Goupil & Cie, the gallery specialized in selling engravings and lithographs. Under the leadership of Knoedler's son-in-law, Roland F. Knoedler, who took over in 1878, the gallery shifted its focus to Old Master paintings and began cultivating relationships with wealthy Gilded Age industrialists like Henry Clay Frick, J. P. Morgan, and Henry O. Havemeyer. It facilitated the acquisition of numerous masterpieces now housed in institutions like The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Collection. The gallery later expanded to represent leading American Impressionists and modern artists, maintaining a prominent presence on Fifth Avenue and later East 57th Street.

Notable artists and exhibitions

Throughout its long history, the gallery represented an illustrious roster of artists and mounted significant exhibitions. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it was instrumental in promoting William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Jean-Léon Gérôme, and Rosa Bonheur to American audiences. It later championed major American modernists, including Willem de Kooning, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, and Robert Motherwell, often giving them early solo shows. The gallery also dealt in works by European masters such as Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, and Henri Matisse. Its 1951 exhibition of Abstract Expressionist works was a landmark event, solidifying the movement's market credibility and connecting artists like Franz Kline and Arshile Gorky with influential collectors like Roy R. Neuberger.

Art forgery scandal

The gallery's demise originated in a sophisticated forgery scheme that unfolded over nearly two decades. Beginning in the 1990s, Long Island art dealer Glafira Rosales supplied the gallery with dozens of previously unknown works she claimed were by masters like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko. Rosales presented fabricated provenance linking the works to a mysterious collector named "Mr. X," supposedly a Swiss-based Hispanic client. Gallery president Ann Freedman sold these works for over $80 million to prominent collectors and institutions, including the Kunstmuseum Basel and billionaire David Martinez. The fraud was uncovered in 2011 by investigations from The New York Times and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, revealing the paintings were created by a Chinese immigrant painter in a Queens garage.

Closure and legacy

Facing multiple lawsuits from defrauded clients like Pierre Lagrange and the Dedalus Foundation, the gallery abruptly shut its doors in November 2011, filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. In 2013, Glafira Rosales pleaded guilty to charges including wire fraud and money laundering. A series of civil trials followed, with a 2016 federal court finding the gallery's former president Ann Freedman not liable for fraud, though the gallery itself was found to have committed civil fraud. The scandal, often called the largest in American art history, severely damaged trust in the art market and raised persistent questions about authentication practices and due diligence. Many of the forged paintings remain in the possession of duped buyers or as evidence in government custody.

Gallery locations

The gallery occupied several notable addresses in Manhattan. It first operated from 289 Broadway before moving in 1863 to 170 Fifth Avenue, a sign of its growing prestige. In 1911, it relocated to a distinguished building at 556-558 Fifth Avenue. Its most famous and long-term home was the modernist townhouse at 14 East 57th Street, designed by architect Harold Sterner, which it occupied from 1970 until its closure. This location, within the heart of New York's elite gallery district, was the site of its most celebrated exhibitions and, ultimately, its final transactions before the scandal erupted.

Category:Art galleries in New York City Category:Companies based in Manhattan Category:Art forgery Category:Defunct companies based in New York City