Warning, Fake Art on the Internet!

Under this title, Hubertus Butin warns in his FAZ article dated April 5, 2014, against frivolous art acquisition on the internet. There are over 2 million offers alone on eBay under the category “Antiques & Art,” so it’s no wonder, according to the author, that many offers “barely exceed flea market level” and “stand no chance in reputable art trade.”

So what does this have to do with Keil? Well – even for the highly esteemed Peter Robert Keil, there are a large number of paintings and other objects on the internet. And the inclined collector, male or female, has long been wondering: Could Peter Robert Keil have created all of this himself? How can the obvious differences in quality be explained? What about the credibility of alleged provenance documents? A quick research shows: Extreme caution is also advised with respect to Peter Robert Keil. Many of the works seem to come from dubious provenance. What does the stamp of a “Keil Museum” in Florida prove, if such a museum does not exist? What does a blank certificate mean if it doesn’t refer to any specific picture? And how credible is a certificate on the letterhead of a well-known hotel in Dubai?

And if the documents are already so dubious, what about the works that are supposed to be legitimized by them? It is hardly likely that a genuine Peter Robert Keil needs to be stamped with a fictional museum seal, and doesn’t a confirmation on hotel stationery immediately cast doubt on the authenticity of the “certified” work?

To finally bring light into the darkness, the Keil Collection Heidelberg, together with Peter Robert Keil and the art historian Dr. Kristina Hoge, started a certification process in 2013. Meanwhile, over 50 Keil collectors have had their paintings certified. Thus, the basis for the catalog raisonné has been created over the past years.

The Keil Collection would like to thank all the many contributors who have actively supported the certification process over the past four years, thereby making the catalog raisonné possible. Special thanks, of course, go to the artist Peter Robert Keil himself, who has harnessed all his discipline to start the certification appointments on time. Or was it ultimately his wife Bo, who provided the necessary rigor? Heartfelt thanks to her too for her patience, endurance, and gentle strictness!

Wilhelm Kampik            Stephan Teuber

Keil Collection Heidelberg, September 2017