A complex, sprawling legal case surrounding the late Anishinaabe artist Norval Morrisseau took a new turn this week after an art expert testified that the painter’s children were active participants in a scheme that saw many of his works forged and passed off as authentic.
Labeled Canada’s largest art fraud ever by investigators, the scheme has been the subject of a prolonged court battle that culminated last year in the conviction of Jeffrey Cowan, one of eight people arrested in 2023. He has been accused of taking part in an effort to sell 1,400 faked Morrisseau works between 2008 and 2021.
But this week, Morrisseau expert John Zemanovich said that the artist’s own children were also culpable, since they allegedly played a role in the attempts to sell faux pieces by Morrisseau, who is sometimes termed the Picasso of the North. Though Zemanovich has previously made similar claims, his testimony on Monday before Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice featured a more explicit condemnation of some members of Morrisseau’s family.
According to Zemanovich, Morrisseau’s children were “critical to the success of the fraud,” per the Toronto Star. He reportedly added, “I really do not think there’s any way possible it could have reached the size it did.”
Zemanovich claimed that it would be “reasonable” to estimate that there are between 5,000 and 7,000 authentic Morrisseau works, and that “it would be reasonable to assume similar output with fakes.”
Because of the court’s schedule, lawyers for the Morrisseau estate have not had a chance to respond yet. However, the estate has previously said on its website that it is “very aware of the issues surrounding his art and we will work to bring clarity, justice and confidence back to his collectors.”
