FBI Seizes Basquiat Artwork From Orlando Art Museum

The FBI seized over 20 pieces of artwork allegedly created by Jean-Michel Basquiat from an Orlando, Florida art museum.

Investigators raided the museum with a warrant for 25 paintings whose authenticity has been in question since their discovery in 2012. The investigation started after The New York Times reported on questions that were raised about the paintings’ authenticity a week after the exhibit opened. The artworks in question are valued at roughly $100 million.

READ MORE: Orlando Museum Of Art Accused of Displaying Fake Jean-Michel Basquiat Paintings

The Orlando Museum of Art has insisted the pieces are real and was planning on showcasing them through June of 2023. Now the paintings will undergo testing to determine if they’re legitimate.

According to The New York Times, The F.B.I.’s Art Crime Team is interested in ‘Untitled’ (Self-Portrait or Crown Face II), a particular piece (pictured below) that Basquiat was said to have painted on a FedEx cardboard box that was not even used by the company until 1994, six years after the famed painter died of a drug overdose.

No criminal charges against anyone working at the museum have been filed. Share your comments with us on social media.