A man by the name of Mark A. Landis has been traveling around the country, most prolifically throughout Louisiana, attempting to donate his forged paintings to various museums. Unlike most forgers however, he does not seem to be in it for the money. Landis rather seems to do it for a kind of satisfaction at seeing his works accepted as authentic. He takes nothing in return for them other than an occasional lunch or a few items from the gift shop and turns down tax write-off forms. It’s unclear whether he has broken any laws so far. Nonetheless, his activities have still ended up costing museums. They have had to pay for analysis of the works, for research to figure out if more of his fakes are hiding in their collections and for legal advice. Mark Tullos Jr., Museum Director at the Paul and Lulu Hilliard University Art Museum in Louisiana, states that Landis is “very well read and knows a lot about art history, and so he can be very convincing.”
Landis’ whereabouts at the moment are still unknown as museums and their lawyers attempt to locate him. He was last seen in November trying to donate a French Academic drawing to the Ackland Art Museum at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, but has since disappeared. The above image is a photo of Landis from the Louisiana State University.
So museums, keep a sharp eye out for the elusive Mark Landis.
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