A former assistant for the famous American artist Jasper Johns has been charged with fraud. The studio assistant, James Meyer, allegedly sold artwork by Johns without his permission and made millions.
Meyer worked for Johns for over 25 years at Johns’ Sharon, Connecticut studio and had access to a special file Johns kept of uncompleted works. These were projects that Johns did not plan on putting on the art market, but that’s exactly what Meyer allegedly did. According to New York Magazine, Meyer was arrested at his Salisbury, Connecticut home on Wednesday and was in Hartford federal court. The Southern District prosecutors unsealed the indictment on Thursday, giving insight into how Meyer allegedly committed fraud.
The Associated Press reports that prosecutors allege that Meyer took paintings from Johns between 2006 and 2012, taking them to a Manhattan art gallery with fake authentication papers. He sold 22 paintings to the unnamed gallery, selling them for a combined $6.5 million. Half of that went to Meyer.
According to the indictment, he would require the buyers of the artworks to keep the art private for eight years and they couldn’t resell it or exhibit it during that time.
New York Magazine notes that Meyer is an artist himself, with his own website showcasing his work.
Johns is best known for his works featuring the American flag.