In the Controversy
In 2005, article by article, word started to leak out of the alleged less then ethical business practices of Eric I. Spoutz. Critics began to question the authenticity of a grouping of artworks that Mr. Spoutz was actively selling through an unlikely venue.
"Sometime around 2003 I had purchased a few thousand attributed artworks from a couple of different private collections. Really I didn't know what I was going to do with these, if anything, but then it hit me, I would try to sell them on eBay! I was very careful about this as I had already sold a good many fully authenticated masterworks to some of the most important collectors of our time. I had also done well in Realism and was reasonably respected within my industry. I just figured that if I opened a sales division of my company for eBay sales and offered affordable artwork to the public with the appropriate disclosures that both my clients and I would be safe. The works were offered with stiff terms and conditions of sale clearly stating that the works were attributed to the respective artists and that there was no assurance of authenticity, thus reflecting the roughly 2,000 dollar through 15,000 dollar price tags on the pieces. If the works had been fully authenticated the bare minimum starting prices would have been 75,000 dollars to well over 1,000,000 dollars. The works were speculative and clearly stated as such. Further research needed to be performed on the art if it was ever to have a chance at fully authenticated status. There was a self proclaimed art expert by the name of Preben J. Madsen in Denmark who took note of the auctions and decided that he would slander my name as a swindler. My response to his accusations is quite clear. I have never forced or coerced anyone to purchase the art that my sales staff was selling on eBay, everyone purchased the artwork based upon their own free will and those who purchased the works were forewarned that they should perform their own due diligence before purchase. In the eyes of the professional Art World, Mr. Madsen's opinions are not to be taken as fact, they are merely his own personal opinions. No leading Auction House, Art Gallery, or Museum would ever consider relying solely on the personal opinions of Preben J. Madsen.