Manuel Marin (sculptor) facts for kids

Manuel Fernandez (1942–2007), also known as Manuel Marin, was an artist. He became known for making and selling fake artworks. After working in the art world for 30 years, he admitted to creating millions of dollars worth of these fake pieces. Most of his forgeries were copies of sculptures by the American artist Alexander Calder.

Fernandez and his wife, Monica Savignon, were sent to prison for their crimes. As part of their punishment, they agreed to never again create art that looked like another artist's work. However, sculptures made by Marin under his own name, which still looked very much like other artists' work, continued to be sold in galleries and at art auctions in the US and Europe.

Early Life and Art Career

Manuel Fernandez was born in 1942 in Cieza, Murcia, Spain. He grew up in Spain. As a teenager, he trained to be a bullfighter.

In his twenties, he moved to London. Later, he moved to New York City. In both cities, he made and sold art.

He later settled in Tenafly, New Jersey, with his wife and children. He also owned a home in Malaga, Spain, where he spent time. Since 2007, many of his sculptures have been sold at auction. Some of these pieces sold for thousands of dollars.

Manuel Fernandez passed away in 2007.

Investigation and Conviction

The FBI investigated Manuel Fernandez and Monica Savignon. In 1997, they were charged with fraud and conspiracy. At that time, the couple had been making and selling fake artworks for more than ten years.

The court reported that they had sold over two million dollars worth of these fake artworks. Fernandez created the art. Savignon helped sell the pieces to art collectors and auction houses. They sold more than $1.5 million worth of fake Alexander Calder works. These often included mobiles or standing mobiles. Fernandez sometimes signed these with "CA" to make them look like Calder's signature. The couple also made fake copies of art by Romare Bearden.

Their crime spread widely. They sold these fake artworks in the United States, Spain, England, and France. They even convinced Sotheby’s, a famous auction house, to sell a fake Calder sculpture. They did this by giving the auction house a false history for the artwork.

Another person who was convicted for art fraud, Richard Vitrano, said in 2000 that Marin was "probably the most prolific art counterfeiter" in the New York City area during the 1980s. Vitrano claimed that Marin made fake art by many other artists too.

To hide their true identities, the couple used different fake names. Manuel Fernandez often sold art as Manuel (Manny) Marin. Court records show he also used names like Giuseppe Marin and Manuel Marcel. Monica Savignon used names such as Franchesca Agnelli and Monica Marin.

In 2000, Manuel Fernandez and Monica Savignon were found guilty in federal court. They were sentenced to 33 months in prison. The court also ordered them to pay back $2,695,000. As part of their sentencing, they agreed not to create or sell any art that looked like the work of a known artist.

Later Artworks

After moving back to Spain, Marin continued to create sculptures. He made sculptures in the form of mobiles. These pieces looked very similar to Alexander Calder's work. This was a clear violation of his agreement with the court. However, Marin sold these works under his own name. He also used his own studio stamp.

These sculptures were typically made of steel. They featured hanging geometric shapes painted in bright primary colors. Despite the problems with their style, these works often appear for sale in galleries and at major auction houses. They are sold at much lower prices than Calder's original works. This might explain why they became so popular.

See also

In Spanish: Manuel Marín (escultor) para niños