Celia Bertoia
The Sweet Spot of Fakery
The art of Harry Bertoia (1915 – 1978) has been brazenly and frequently copied. Let’s examine why by reviewing the man, his art and his collectors. Born in Italy, awarded U.S. citizenship in 1946, his name was introduced to the world as a chair designer. The Bertoia collection for Knoll, including the iconic wire grid Diamond chair, garnered popularity from its inception in 1952 and has remained a best seller into the current day. His true passion – metal sculpture – gained favor with prominent architects such as I. M. Pei and Eero Saarinen during the mid 1950s
through the 1970s, resulting in over 50 monumental public sculptures, many of which are still in situ. His late life experiments in sounding art, known as Sonambient, attracted a passionate following that has continued through current times. The vertical rod sculptures on a base are commonly called tonals. Considering the theme of this website – art fakes – certainly some of you readers will have heard of Bertoia previously, but some may have little or no idea who Bertoia is. Here we find the sweet spot of fakery – a somewhat known artist who is not yet
hugely famous.
Knoll, now MillerKnoll, has had extensive issues with Bertoia, and other, furniture copies and copyrights. It is an ongoing battle to be recognized as the only authorized maker of Bertoia chairs when there are Asian, European and American copycats. This is a continuing concern for
most of the famous midcentury modern chairs. While not fine art, it is a similar problem.
Best Status of Artist for Fakes
Bertoia is not as well-known as the top tier of artists such as Picasso, Warhol, or Basquiat. Yet his work is at that intriguing intersection of familiar enough and valuable enough to appeal to budding collectors. Although the auction record for a Bertoia dandelion sculpture is $1.93
million, most of his works are in the $25,000 to $250,000 range; a popular range for emergent art lovers. The 2024 Art Market Report from USB / Art Basel reported that “online-only auction values were based around the middle and lower ends: 58% of the value of the online-only fine
art auction market in 2023 was sales of lots priced at less than $50,000 and over 85% was those sold for less than $250,000.” 1 The same report explains that “dealers remained the preferred way to buy for most collectors in 2023, and around 30% of those who favored dealers opted for transactions carried out entirely online, with a share of 39% for Gen Z collectors.” 2
Art as an investment has proven, in some categories and certain time periods, to be a wise choice. The stock market is unpredictable, angel investing is highly risky, and, of course, art investment is risky as well. Nevertheless, author Vodin KrKovic, found that “art has appreciated
13.8% per year over the last 25+ years, higher than stocks (10.2%) and real estate (8.9%). Plus, unlike public markets, art is largely uncorrelated with other asset classes, making it an excellent store of value.” 3 This investment possibility is attractive to those who deal in art copies as well.
Son Val Bertoia Adds to Confusion
To add to the perfect storm of the ideal artist to copy, Harry Bertoia’s son, Val Bertoia, makes very similar sculptures. It is fairly common knowledge that Harry Bertoia did not sign or mark his sculptures, believing that his creativity came from a higher divine source that need not be marred with one human’s name. Val Bertoia usually leaves a mark, i.e. B123. Yet there are confusing descriptions of Val Bertoia sculptures, especially on Ebay, such as, “Genuine Harry Bertoia Design Val Bertoia Sonambient Sculpture 51”. Beautiful.” 4 The Harry Bertoia Foundation has received numerous emails and calls asking what such a description actually means. The
Foundation has asked the sellers to remove “Harry Bertoia Design” to no avail. A genuine Harry Bertoia design could only have been created during his lifetime, 1915 – 1978. Any sculpture made by Val Bertoia after 1978 is simply NOT a ‘genuine Harry Bertoia design’. Without
resorting to costly legal methods, there is little to be done to alleviate this issue.
1 Arts Economics (2023) The Survey of Global Collecting 2023, An Art Basel and UBS Global Market Report. Available at: theartmarket.artbasel.com.
2Ibid.
3https://www.wallstreetzen.com/blog/how-to-invest-in-art/ , KrKovick, Vodin, This is How to Invest in Art in 2024, September 4, 2023.
4https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=val+bertoia&_sacat=0
Other known “inspired by Bertoia” sculptures have been made for decades. Some signed their works, such as tonals by Winni Brueggeman or David Grossman sprays. Some are not signed or marked, thus it is quite challenging to discern the real from the copy. The best option is to contact the Harry Bertoia Foundation. The Catalogue Raisonné review team at the Foundation
studies technique and provenance, researches archival photos and catalogs, and seeks pertinent experts. It is often a lengthy, detailed process. If it is quickly obviously NOT Bertoia, there is no charge. If extended research is involved, there may be a fee. They do not guarantee
authenticity, but acceptance into the Catalogue is a good sign and accepted by most.
Limited Editions of Tonals
There have been authorized replicas of Bertoia sounding sculpture issued by the Harry Bertoia Foundation over the last decade, but all are distinctly marked with the edition number and Harry Bertoia Foundation logo. The Board of Directors debated long and hard about these limited editions, questioning whether it would hurt the original Bertoia market. Knowing that Harry wished for as many people as possible to own and enjoy Bertoia sculptures, the board decided to produce editions but only with very clear labeling. Carefully selected welders with knowledge of the Harry Bertoia welding techniques are used for the limited edition productions. This model is currently available at https://harrybertoia.org/product/table-tonal-
iii/
The time, investment, risk and skill necessary to make a convincing Jackson Pollock fake are at a much higher level than those needed to make a fake Bertoia sounding sculpture. A tonal is of fairly simple construction so it is rather tempting for copycats. Nevertheless, the folks at the Foundation are on the lookout and try to be as far reaching as possible in uncovering copies. So far, bushes have not been replicated but dandelions have. At this time, only a few thousand Bertoia sculptures have been vetted and documented in the ever expanding Catalogue, but more are added every month. Owners are encouraged to submit their Bertoias. Peruse to your
heart’s content here:
https://catalogue.harrybertoia.org
MONOTYPES
Bertoia monotypes (also called monoprints or monographics) are too complicated to copy. They
are, perhaps, the undiscovered treasure of Bertoia’s oeuvre, often selling for under $5000, and revealing an entire other tangent of Harry Bertoia’s abstract work. The techniques for making the monotypes was quite complex and very varied, although they all have a recognizable
attitude of a Bertoia monotype. Because their values have not yet risen and the construction of them is more involved, they are not imitated. They were highly prized by the artist himself, as he felt that his entire artistic career was illustrated in the monotypes. If one monotype is viewed, it might be noted as interesting or mysterious. If twenty or more related monotypes can be examined together, the viewer gets a small slice of the artist’s development and even an idea of how his brain worked. These, too, are not signed. The Harry Bertoia Catalogue Raisonné has a fairly extensive listing of the monotypes available here:
https://catalogue.harrybertoia.org
Monotypes from the 1940s. What might the next one look like?
HOW FAKES HURT ALL PARTIES
While it may be flattering that an object of art is considered good enough to copy, there are overall many more detriments than benefits. The trouble with unauthorized copies are numerous and major.
- It weakens the original artist market
- It reduces public trust in the art market
- It creates confusion in value
- It is copyright infringement and plagiarism
- It is usually an inferior object
- It can cause negative emotional, legal and financial consequences
The Harry Bertoia Foundation hereby puts out the word to all potential copycats: Just stop it! If you are a dealer or auction house expert, contact us for details of technique or assistance on your Bertoias. info@harrybertoia.org https://harrybertoia.org/ 435 673-2355
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