Horton Hears a Fraud?

As the Peabody Fine Art Gallery prepares to debut the “Secret Art” of Theodor Seuss Geisel, an artist in Florida says that the entire exhibit is “obscene to no end.”

“You can’t have a limited edition that’s done by someone who isn’t around to number it,” said Gary Arseneau, an artist from Florida who is challenging the authenticity of this posthumously created art.

“This is really a massive false market created by people who want to capitalize on the memory of a beloved artist,” Arseneau told Patch.

Peabody Fine Art Gallery, located at 603 Santa Cruz Avenue, is hosting an exhibition called Hats Off to Dr. Seuss!, which features works of art that the exhibit’s curator says were tucked away in the closet of the Geisel family.  

“These are works of art that were created from the 20s to 1991, when Geisel passed away, that he never shared with the public,” said Bill Dreyer, Curator of the Art of Dr. Seuss collection.”

“This is why it’s known as the 'Secret Art' of Dr. Seuss,” Dreyer told Patch. Dreyer said that when Geisel passed away, he gave his wife Audrey permission for his art to be collected and created posthumously. Dreyer said he’s worked with her to reproduce many of the original works, which are in her home, as limited edition prints for private collections and museum exhibitions. 

Part of the exhibition is on a tour of the U.S. that began at the New York Public Library, located at 5th Avenue at 42ndstreet, as a way to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Dr. Seuss’ book The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins. The exhibition showcases hats from Geisel's personal collection, which collected from all over the world during his travels.  

Dreyer said that Arseneau is well known in the art industry, and often dismissed, because there is no basis to his claims. 

“Odd is the best way to describe him,” Dreyer said during a phone conversation. “These are estate-authorized works,” he emphasized.

Arseneau primarily takes issue with the fact that the art was created after Geisel passed away. He told Patch it is an “organized fraud to rip off unsuspecting patrons for hundreds of dollars for artwork that Geisel didn’t do.”

“It devalues the art and someday there will be consequences for this type of fraud,” he said.

Dreyer maintains that Geisel wished for his art to be shared and that all of the works are “estate authorized.”

Dryer will be giving the keynote talk at on Saturday during a celebration of the collection at the Peabody Fine Art Gallery, which starts at 5 p.m. and runs through 8 p.m. on Saturday April 27, 2013. The event is free and open to the public.

His discussion will highlight Geisel's history, as well as the hat collection, which will be on display at the gallery, that was originally tucked away in a closet at the late Mr. Geisel’s home in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California.

All of the artwork on display will be available for acquisition, except for the hats. 

Prices range from $225 for a 12x9 Horton Hears a Who lithograph to $115,000 for a 10-foot-tall Green Eggs and Ham bronze sculpture, according to the Peabody Fine Art Gallery’s website. For more information, visit peabodyfineart.com.

Do you think reproductions are frauds? Tell us in the comments.

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