Deutscher-Menzies responds
I am writing to express my extreme concern and disappointment at the article by Bruce Carpenter Fortunate discovery or clever scam? which appeared in The Jakarta Post on Jan. 13.
Discussing the proliferation of forgeries on the Indonesian art market. Carpenter specifically challenges the authenticity of two works by Willem Gerard Hofker (1902-1981) sold last December by Deutscher-Menzies in Sydney, Australia -- making allegations which are both damaging to the firm's professional reputation and misleading to readers.
As a qualified academic and commentator on the art market, Carpenter should appreciate the delicate nature of such an issue and its implications for the commercial sphere.. Moreover, as Carpenter himself recognizes "it is unwise to make definitive judgments on authenticity without careful physical examination" -- advice which ironically, he does not heed here, condemning the works purely on the basis of the low resolution images featured on Deutscher-Menzies' website.
A salient example of this flawed analysis is Carpenter's assertion that Ni Dablig Weeft, Bali is undated -- and therefore, "suspect" since Hofker typically dated all his works. Yet were the author to inspect the painting in the flesh, he would soon realize that it is in fact clearly signed and dated "W.G. Hofker, Bali, 1939-1945" in the upper right corner.
As the leading art auction house in Australia, Deutscher- Menzies is renowned for its commitment to the highest standards of catalog research and presentation. Prior to accepting works for sale, meticulous investigation is undertaken into authenticity provenance, with the results clearly publicized for our prospective buyers in the sale catalog.
In the present case, both works by Hofker bear impeccable provenance, having been consigned for sale with Deutscher-Menzies by the sons of General Sir Thomas Blamey, Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Military Force and Allied Land Forces in the South West Pacific -- who himself acquired the works directly from the artist in Balikpapan, East Kalimantan in 1945.
Widely respected and renowned for his courageous efforts during both world wars, Sir Thomas Blamey occupies an important place in Australian history and today remains immortalized with statues and monuments throughout the country. Thus, again, it is clearly Carpenter who has failed to undertake any research or investigation here, as he speculates somewhat recklessly "... was there indeed an officer of this name in the area at that time?"
It is to be lamented that the Post -- which prides itself on its commitment to promoting art and culture and which, notably, featured a very enthusiastic article about both works by Dewi Anggraeni on Dec. 19, 2004 -- has allowed such inaccurate, highly inflammatory comments to be published. Not only have Carpenter's allegations been harmful to the professional reputation of Deutscher-Menzies but, significantly, they have also caused great distress to the vendor and subsequent purchasers.
CHRIS DEUTSCHER, Executive Director, Deutscher-Menzies, Australia