The most expensive fake in the history of photography

November 8, 2005 for the first time paid more than a million dollars for a photograph: a picture of Richard Prince (Richard Prince) in 1989 sold at Christie's auction for 1,248,000 dollars! However, not everyone agrees with such a high assessment of the work of Prince, who, strictly speaking, is not even a photographer ...

(Total 9 photos)

1. It was this shot that broke the world record for the cost of photography in 2005.

2. However, the "dark horse" Richard Prince, who shot a whole series, including the famous "Cowboy", turns out to be not a photographer at all ...

3. In fact, he is one of the five richest and most famous contemporary New York artists.

4. And his “million dollar shot”, it turns out, is not a photograph at all ...

5. This is the so-called "re-photo". Simply put, Prince simply re-shot the pictures already printed in magazines.

6. And his heroes were cowboys from Marlboro advertising illustrations.

7. Thus, Prince managed to create a copy (photo) of a copy (advertising) of the legend (cowboys).

8. The author himself speaks openly about his photography talent: “I had very limited camera skills. Or rather, none at all. I just played with the camera."

9. Well, the real author of the most famous and expensive cowboy in the history of photography was, apparently, a much more modest American photographer Sam Abel (Sam Abell).