New York Magazine has published an exclusive interview with Ann Freedman, the president of the now shuttered Knoedler and Company, who has been exonerated of any criminal involvement in the fraudulent sale of 63 forged artworks through the gallery.  “The story was credible,” she says, speaking on Glafira Rosales’s mysterious seller, “Mr. X,” a fabrication she used to justify the sudden appearance of the works. “Dealers often do not know the specifics of origin or background, or how the art left the artist’s studio. You cannot turn the pages of an auction catalogue or museum publication without seeing a majority of the works labeled ‘private collection.’ The chain of ownership is often out of order and incomplete.” (more…)

New arrests are expected in the ongoing investigation into the Knoedler Gallery, the New York Times reports.  The news comes after the indictment of dealer Glafira Rosales, in which the prosecuting attorney, Jason P. Hernandez, stated that he was contemplating further arrests.  The news comes after the announcement that Mr. Pei-Shen Qian, the artist who created these works, has left the country for China.  Both the prosecutor and defense attorney in the trial have also forecasted that the case will be resolved soon.  (more…)

Dealer Glafira Rosales, who was being held without bail in New York in connection with the sale of dozens of forged and fake paintings claimed to be works by Rothko, Pollack and Motherwell, was released from prison Monday under new bail terms.  A federal court in Manhattan set the new terms at $2.5 million, with $250,000 cash and four properties, which were promptly paid by the dealer.  Under the terms, Rosales is also prohibited from leaving the state, and will be monitored electronically. (more…)

Long Island art dealer Glafira Rosales was arraigned this week in court, pleading “not guilty” to charges of selling over sixty fraudulent art works claimed to be by post-war masters Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning, among others.  The prosecution also accused Rosales of hiding the proceeds (over $12.5 million in undeclared incomes) of the sales in foreign sales accounts. (more…)