Carabinieri/FacebookItalian police hold one of the suspected forgeries.Italian police just seized 21 works of art attributed to Salvador Dal that are presumed to be forgeries. The pieces were all part of an exhibition called Salvador Dal: Between Art and Myth that recently opened at Palazzo Tarasconi in Parma.The collection had previously appeared in Rome, where the Carabinieris Cultural Heritage Protection Unit began to question the arts authenticity after a routine inspection. An investigation is now underway to confirm the legitimacy of the lithographs.Italian Authorities Suspect Forgery At A Salvador Dal ExhibitionLast week, authorities seized 21 lithographs from the Salvador Dal exhibition in Parma. According to a Facebook post by the Carabinieri, the police began to doubt the authenticity of some of the artwork earlier this year after a routine inspection of the exhibition while it was on display in Rome.During the inspection, the kind we generally do at museums, something seemed to be amiss, the senior officer leading the investigation, Diego Polio, told The Guardian. We noticed that only lithographs, posters, and drawings by Dal were on display, along with a few statues and other objects, but no paintings or anything of importance. It was difficult to understand why someone would want to organize an exhibition of such low-value works.Public DomainSpanish surrealist artist Salvador Dal with his pet ocelot in 1965.The police alerted the Gala-Salvador Dal Foundation of their suspicions about the exhibit, only to learn the foundation had never been in contact with the exhibitions organizers or curator. The Gala-Salvador Dal Foundation is devoted to safeguarding Dals legacy, and Salvador Dal: Between Art and Myth never got its seal of approval. From the moment the content of this exhibition which began in Rome and has now moved to Parma became known, the Dal Foundation expressed its doubts regarding three drawings and a series of graphic works, said a representative of the foundation, as reported by The New York Times.The foundation sent experts to Rome to see the lithographs for themselves, and they still had doubts about their authenticity. So, when the exhibition reopened in Parma recently, the police moved in, seizing the suspected forgeries. However, the curator of the event insists the artwork is legitimate.The Debate About The Authenticity Of The LithographsVincenzo Sanfo, the curator of Salvador Dal: Between Art and Myth, stands firm that he has the documentation needed to authenticate the lithographs. He says they are part of a collection called Les Chevaux de Dal that was published in 1983.ChristiesOne of Salvador Dals horse lithographs that was sold by Christies in 2010.Still, an investigation is now underway. No one has yet been charged with any wrongdoing, but the police are looking into the exhibitions organizers, and the curator is also a person of interest. Its clear that as the curator he allowed the works to be exhibited but prosecutors still have to examine his position, Polio told The New York Times. Sanfo, in turn, said that he was surprised by the Carabinieris focus on the exhibition, because the pieces are not so valuable and dont justify all the ruckus. Salvador Dal: Between Art and Myth remains open to the public for now, but the results of the authentication are pending.After reading about these alleged Salvador Dal forgeries, discover the story behind the infamous Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist. Then, learn about the Monuments Men who rescued priceless works of art from the Nazis.The post Police Just Seized 21 Works Of Art Suspected To Be Forgeries From A Salvador Dal Exhibition In Italy appeared first on All That's Interesting.