As a multi-billion-pound industry, criminal activity within the art world assumes a range of forms, from the widespread deception achieved through the creation of fakes and forgeries, through to more subtle incarnations/instances of ownership guises of looted antiquities and money laundering. As a threat to our collective cultural identity, the subject of art crime requires further investigation to understand its preconditions, processes and consequences; all of which will be analyzed in depth throughout this program.
The first half of the program examine the broader context of art crime by identifying and defining the range of illegal activities that contribute to this unique phenomenon. By approaching the topic from both theoretical and practical perspectives, case studies will be used to explore the subjects of fakes, forgeries and thefts. This will include contributions from a celebrated art forger and the world’s leading art detective. The second half of the program considers the challenges and complexities involved with cultural repatriation and restitution, and explores legal, ethical and technological approaches to mitigating or preventing current and future criminal activity within the cultural sector.
Director of Art and Technology
Gareth Fletcher is a Lecturer and Seminar Tutor in Art Business. He holds a BA (Art History, History) and BFA (Film) from the University of Canterbury (New Zealand), and is a graduate of the Sotheby’s Institute MA in Art Business program who has worked in a variety of roles within the London art market.
Read MoreWeek 1: Uncover the structure of the international art market and criminal activities within the cultural sector.
Week 2: Analyze fakes and forgeries and examine the role of science in object evaluation.
Week 3: Learn about art thefts and methods for recovering stolen objects.
Week 4: Explore processes for restitution and repatriation of cultural objects.
Week 5: Understand the importance of due diligence and provenance research.
Week 6: See how emerging technologies are affecting the future of art crime.
This flexible online course is delivered in weekly modules consisting of recorded lectures, instructor-guided discussion boards, and supplementary resources. The course will include a final project with personalized feedback from the course instructor. All participants will have read-only access to the course materials for an additional 90 days after the course end date.
Review the online course Terms and Conditions.
For successfully completing this course, you receive a verified Certificate of Completion from Sotheby’s Institute of Art as well as 6 IACET Continuing Education Units. *
Our digital certificates allow you to share new skills with various social media platforms, including LinkedIn. Successful completion is defined by each instructor in the course syllabus and consists, at the least, of regular, thoughtful participation in online activities and timely submission of assigned papers or projects.
*As an IACET Accredited Provider, Sotheby’s Institute of Art offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.