The Crown and the Project Totten Task Force have been reaching out to individuals to request forfeiture of their fake Morrisseau paintings. The danger of inaction lies in the possibility that these forgeries may resurface in the future, threatening the progress made in preserving Morrisseau’s artistic legacy. This article serves as a prime example.
In June 2024, John Manson purchased a fake Morrisseau painting for $210 through an auction held by Gardner Galleries. In October, he posted a photo of the painting in the Facebook group “Canadian Art and Artists” (41K members) with the caption, “Recently purchased this self-portrait of Norval Morrisseau. Acrylic on canvas.” Seeking authentication, he reached out to me through a Facebook Messenger chat.
The following PDF contains comprehensive evidence, including: an image of the authentic Morrisseau painting sold by Mayberry Fine Art, which the forger used as a model for creating the fake; a screenshot of the auction webpage listing the forgery as Lot 50; Manson’s Facebook group post and related comments; a transcript of our Messenger chat; and the continuation of our conversation via email after he blocked our chat and deleted his post in the Canadian Art and Artists group.
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Open in new tab Excerpt | Email Suite | Ritchie Sinclair to John Manson
“People like yourself, who have watched the documentary and then purchase a painting (for a paltry $210), pretending it is Morrisseau art with the stated intention of reselling it as an investment commodity, show little respect for art, culture, or for those who actually paid the price to protect Morrisseau’s legacy.” R. Sinclair, Sun, Oct 13, 2024, 2:11 p.m.
Excerpt from an Email Suite | John Manson to Ritchie Sinclair
“I have been an art lover all my life and have turned that into a money-making hobby. I didn’t say it was a Morrisseau original, I was looking for opinions. When I do sell it, it will be with no guarantee. Meanwhile, it hangs lovingly in our home.” John Manson, Sun, Oct 13, 2024, 3:33 p.m
Excerpt from an Email Suite | Ritchie Sinclair to John Manson
Dear Mr. Manson,
“As a fellow art lover, I have a suggestion for you to consider. Why don’t you do the wise and just thing, for both yourself and Canada, by forfeiting your Morrisseau forgery to the police to do with as they see fit? As we both know, it isn’t a Norval Morrisseau painting but instead appears to be a forgery from your neck of the woods, painted by Jeffrey Gordon COWAN. Jeff will either plead guilty, or his case will come to trial early in the new year, so it would be timely to have Jeff or the police add it to the list of forgeries painted and sold by him. The police have hundreds of paintings that have already been forfeited to them, so yours will just be another one given up by Canadians who care enough to do so.
I suggest that you send an email to Detective Jason Rybak jason.rybak@thunderbaypolice.ca stating where and when you purchased it and that, as a gesture of goodwill, you have chosen not to resell it and would prefer to forfeit it to them. Even though it will mean a loss of the $210 you paid, I believe you’ll feel better for it. Perhaps also let me know when you have done so, to save me any further trouble with regard to this issue.
John, I truly do wish you and yours all the very best going forward,”
Ritchie
R. Sinclair, Thanksgiving Sunday, Oct 13, 2024, 11:37 p.m.
Barrie Today | Apr 16, 2024 | Jeff Cowan of NOTL in court over art fraud case
Jeffrey Cowan, 47, of Niagara-on-the-Lake, told the court Monday he is retaining a lawyer for the judicial pre-trial, motions and the trial itself. He will make a status appearance in court April 30 at 10:30 a.m.
Institute of Art & Law, UK | 8 July 2024 | New Guilty Plea in the “Norval Morrisseau” Forgery Ring Scheme
“Finally, a third operation in 2008, led by Jeffrey Cowan, originated in Southern Ontario. Cowan commissioned and provided false information for the provenance of the forged works and made up stories about the art’s origins. While Cowan sold many works directly to buyers, he also enlisted James White, an art dealer in Toronto, to act as a major distributor of these forgeries. To legitimise these paintings, both White and Cowan enlisted Paul Bremner to provide the certificates of authenticity and appraisals for hundreds of the forgeries.”
Canadaland | Podcast | September 30, 2024| The Biggest Art Fraud Ring in History
It was the largest art fraud in history. The sheer volume of rip-offs numbering in the thousands. And the scheme that shocked the art world sprang from, of all places, Thunder Bay. How did the fraudsters hatch such a plan from such an unlikely place? And what part did a cold case murder play in finally exposing their cultural crime? Podcast featuring Jamie Kastner
Daily Art Magazine | by Adam Oestreich | 14 October 2024 | Norval Morrisseau, The Picasso of the North
A well written, scholarly article on Norval Morrisseau