Conviction in High-Stakes Antiques Fraud Shakes French Art Market

French antiques experts Georges "Bill" Pallot and Bruno Desnoues have been found guilty of selling forged 18th-century chairs purported to be from royal lineage, including Marie Antoinette's. Following a nine-year investigation, the case highlights the need for stricter regulations in the art market, while an accomplice was acquitted of negligence.

Two prominent French antiques experts, Georges "Bill" Pallot and Bruno Desnoues, have been sentenced for their roles in a fraudulent scheme involving the sale of forged 18th-century chairs that were falsely claimed to belong to French royalty, including Marie Antoinette. The pair were handed a four-month prison sentence, alongside suspended sentences, after being convicted of deception in a case that has sent shockwaves through the French antiques community.

Having already served four months in pre-trial detention, both men will avoid further incarceration. Acquitted in this case was Laurent Kraemer, a gallery owner accused of negligence for selling the faux furniture without proper authenticity verification. The case has been an extensive nine-year journey through the legal system, culminating in a court judgment delivered in Pontoise, near Paris, where fines of €200,000 for Pallot and €100,000 for Desnoues were imposed.

Pallot lamented the monetary penalties but expressed relief that his home would remain safe from seizure. The trial revealed how Kraemer's gallery became embroiled in the scandal through its dealings, including a sale to Qatari prince Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani for two chairs purportedly owned by Marie Antoinette, costing €2 million. Both Kraemer and his gallery denied any involvement in the forgery, with their legal representatives declaring the acquittal a validation of their long-held claims of innocence.

At one point, Pallot was regarded as the leading authority on French 18th-century chairs, with access to historical documents from Versailles, allowing him to identify missing pieces to replicate. He characterized the fraudulent venture candidly, stating, "Everything was fake but the money." Prosecutor Pascal Rayer characterized the case as shedding crucial light on the murky world of historical furniture sales and called for increased regulation in the antiques market to ensure ethical transactions.

This case sensitizes the conversation surrounding the integrity of the antiques industry in France, which has faced similar scandals in prior years, marking a critical moment for reform and transparency in art dealings.