Crimes of the Art World

This book offers a revealing look at the full scope of criminal activity in the art world--a category of crime that is far more pervasive than is generally realized.

Forgeries, fakes, fencing, and felony theft--all are pervasive problems in the world of art, where the stakes are high, the networks wide, and the consequences profound. In recent years, suspicious acquisitions, unreliable provenances, and shady dealers have found their way into the headlines as museums and private collections have been confronted with everything from fake pieces to stolen antiquities to plain old theft and vandalism. Crimes of the Art World captures the full scope of this staggeringly lucrative field of criminal conduct, showing how its impact reaches well beyond the walls of the museum.

Filled with fascinating stories of crime and greed, this revealing volume looks at case after case of thefts, forgeries, fakes, and illicit trafficking, as well as the political/religious victimization of art, white-collar art crime, and vandalism. The book examines each type of crime in terms of frequency, losses, and characteristics of victims and criminals. Concluding chapters focus on preventive measures, art crime investigation, and security issues.

Author: Thomas Bazley
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 02/26/2010
Pages: 244
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.15lbs
Size: 9.30h x 6.20w x 1.10d
ISBN: 9780313360473

Review Citation(s):
Reference and Research Bk News 05/01/2010 pg. 232

About the Author

Thomas D. Bazley, PhD, is adjunct teacher at the University of South Florida, where he also received his degree in criminology.