Art detective Carlo Pepi embarks on a journey to expose counterfeit artwork

Carlo Pepi: The Enigmatic "Fake Catcher" of the Art World

Carlo Pepi, a man of contradictions and charm, has passed away in his hometown of Crespina, Italy. Known as the "fake catcher," Pepi was a figure outside the traditional Academy and art circles, yet he made a significant impact on the world of art.

Pepi was the Director of the Forgery and Fakes section at Art Watch International organization in New York. However, there is no available information from search results about any institution in New York appointing him as such. Despite this, Pepi was widely acknowledged as one of the world's major collectors of Modigliani and the Macchiaioli.

Pepi's interest in art began early. He studied economics and mathematics in Pisa, but his heart was always with art. From 1991, he was particularly interested in demonstrating the authenticity of the heads of Modigliani. In 1984, he exposed the Livorno hoax regarding the famous (or infamous) Livorno heads of Modigliani.

Pepi was a collector with a unique approach. He kept his distance from art dealers to buy at the right time, not to sell. He was passionate about Tuscan painting and sculpture from the late 19th century to the post-war period. His collection included pieces from Picasso, Modigliani, Warhol, and all his Macchiaioli, with almost twenty thousand works of figurative art in total.

Pepi was an eccentric, often attracted to an aesthetic version of the Munchausen syndrome. He believed he could spot a fake through an esoteric vision involving geometric proportions and metempsychosis with artists he admired. He was convinced that he had discovered the primogeniture of the first abstract work in the world, attributing it to a Fattori of his collection.

Despite his contributions, Pepi was widely snubbed by art historians, critics, and collectors. He was a character who lived in a time that was no longer his, but his time never really existed. He appeared immortal, suspended in a realm that was his alone.

Pepi was also the guardian of one of Italy's most extraordinary wunderkammer. He was passionate about organizing an international conference on the True and the False in Modigliani, focusing on the question of the (authentic) Livorno heads. These heads were still forgotten and guarded in a vault, waiting for better times.

As we remember Carlo Pepi, let us not forget his contributions to the world of art. Despite being snubbed by many, Pepi remained dedicated to his passion, leaving behind a legacy that continues to intrigue and inspire.