"A painting determined to be the work of "genius forger" Wolfgang Beltracchi in Japan's Tokushima Modern Art Museum, it was returned and refunded for 67.2 million yen ($426,000) by an Osaka-based company on Wednesday, November 19, reported the . The museum had announced that it would withdraw the canvas from an upcoming exhibition, following suspicions that it was a Beltracchi fake."
"It wasn't until an examination in 2024, however, when experts determined the work was a Beltracchi forgery, who previously served a three-year prison sentence for the crime and now works as an artist. At the time of conviction, the court found that 14 forgeries made by Beltracchi had been sold to collectors worldwide for a total of $45 million. Beltracchi has since claimed to have forged some 300 works by modern masters including Max Ernst, Max Pechstein, André Derain, and Fernand Léger."
"The museum then began discussions with the painting's seller, who agreed to a return and refund of At the Cycle-Race Track 55 on October 20. The painting's origins was also unbeknown to the company at the time of the sale, making the purchase contract valid. The refund for the original purchase price was made to the prefectural government, which oversees the museum, on October 22; the painting was then returned to the company on November 18."
Tokushima Modern Art Museum returned At the Cycle-Race Track 55 and received a 67.2 million yen refund after forensic examination identified the canvas as a Wolfgang Beltracchi forgery. The painting had been purchased from an Osaka dealer in January 1999 and long believed to be a 1911–1912 Jean Metzinger. A 2024 examination and a July–October investigation with the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties found synthetic pigments only producible after the mid-20th century. The seller agreed to return the work and refunded the prefectural government on October 22; the painting was returned on November 18.
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