Yue Minjun on etsy: too good to be true, yeah?
December 6, 2008 10:31 AM Subscribe
There are paintings for sale on Etsy that appear to be by Yue Minjun, selling for absurdly low prices. The Etsy seller does not use the name "Yue Minjun" anywhere.
These are fake, right?
I just want a reality check in case I am missing a cool opportunity due to being clueless.
I just want a reality check in case I am missing a cool opportunity due to being clueless.
Something seems very fishy. Inconsistent watermarks on the images, which seems to suggest the images were taken from a variety of sources. And, as you've mentioned, the price is just way out of whack.
The store was just established today. Weird.
posted by piratebowling at 10:45 AM on December 6, 2008
The store was just established today. Weird.
posted by piratebowling at 10:45 AM on December 6, 2008
Millions versus hundreds of dollars? Yes, absolutely too good to be true. Unless both Yue Minjun and Zhang Xiaogang have a history of working in conceptual art, then this could maybe maybe be a sort of counter-art-market performance --- but I doubt it.
In addition consider that the banner says 'friendship868', instead of 'chinaoilpaint' -- the seller probably was reported and his account closed, and he just opened up a new shop under a different ID or something.
posted by suedehead at 10:52 AM on December 6, 2008
In addition consider that the banner says 'friendship868', instead of 'chinaoilpaint' -- the seller probably was reported and his account closed, and he just opened up a new shop under a different ID or something.
posted by suedehead at 10:52 AM on December 6, 2008
Best answer: I would be willing to bet that these are done by art students in China.
I have seen all kinds of remakes done that way, from Monet to Picasso.
And hey! They can be had for even cheaper than that on eBay :)
Yue Minjun on eBay
posted by bradly at 10:54 AM on December 6, 2008
I have seen all kinds of remakes done that way, from Monet to Picasso.
And hey! They can be had for even cheaper than that on eBay :)
Yue Minjun on eBay
posted by bradly at 10:54 AM on December 6, 2008
Best answer: Yeah, it look like the ebay sellers are using the same watermarked images as the etsy seller. Fake and/or scam.
posted by piratebowling at 10:59 AM on December 6, 2008
posted by piratebowling at 10:59 AM on December 6, 2008
My boss has some Yue Minjun knockoffs on the wall of his office. He bought them on the street in Beijing a few years ago.
posted by KokuRyu at 12:20 PM on December 6, 2008
posted by KokuRyu at 12:20 PM on December 6, 2008
"China's Masterpiece Factories," video report from National Geographic (ad precedes video). It's kind of a neat industry, actually.
posted by steef at 4:41 PM on December 7, 2008
posted by steef at 4:41 PM on December 7, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by everichon at 10:36 AM on December 6, 2008