How 25 Dubious Basquiats Created a Massive Museum Scandal—And Exposed Some Dark Art Truths

A blockbuster show of “lost” works by the late, and much-marketed, Jean-Michel Basquiat at the Orlando Museum of Art was meant to compete with Disney and SeaWorld. Then the feds came knocking and a small-time auctioneer confessed to knocking them off, leaving their owners in a continuing scramble to prove their authenticity. As the investigation continues, the whole affair has shone an uncomfortable light on the art world’s unceasing need for spectacle.