Description:

William Toye (American/Louisiana, 1931-2018) , "Jessie Brown's, 223 N. Basin Street", oil on canvas board, signed lower right, signed, titled and inscribed en verso, 30 in. x 24 in., framed.

  • Notes: Infamous self-taught artist, William Toye, was most well-known for being the forger of hundreds of Clementine Hunter fakes that led to a well-publicized scandal and prompted a successful FBI investigation. He and his wife, Beryl, were convicted of creating and selling the works to unsuspecting collectors. The Toye fakes were known as the most sophisticated and accurate of the Hunter forgeries entering the market, likely due to his ill-used inherent artistic talent. Hunter was allegedly not the only artist Toye copied, and he prided himself on his ability to replicate Claude Monet paintings, telling John Ed Bradley in an article for Garden & Gun Magazine: “Nobody does Monet better than me… if he were still alive and we both did a water lily painting, tell me the difference.” William and Beryl Toye eventually plead guilty to fraud in 2011. Before being known nationwide as one of the most notorious forgers in American art history, Toye created several original paintings for the 1968 “Storyville, New Orleans” exhibition at the Howard-Tilton Memorial Library. His paintings featured bordellos and other buildings that were prominent in the red-light district before its closing in 1917, along with rare documents, photographs and a detailed to-scale model of Mahogany Hall (also created by Toye). The exhibition coincided with the publication of Al Rose’s book of the same title, and the two paintings on offer here, “Lulu White’s Mahogany Hall, 235 N. Basin Street” and “Jessie’ Brown’s, 223 N. Basin Street”, were included. While many of Toye’s works have come to auction over the years, most have carried the signature of other more famous artists. These paintings, however, are rare and honest creations of the eccentric and deceitful rogue artist. A year after the exhibition The Times-Picayune would report that Toye’s s apartment was burgled and many of his original works were destroyed -- “slashed with a sharp instrument” -- including his Storyville paintings and several canvases depicting the history of political corruption of the New Orleans city government. According to the Garden & Gun article, Toye claimed “the burglary was a vendetta by politicians who didn’t like how he’d portrayed them,” and he received a settlement of around $25,000 from his insurance company for the destroyed works. Evidence of the alleged attack can be seen on “Lulu White’s Mahogany Hall,” which still features the slash marks and damage. Ref.: Bradley, John Ed. “The Talented Mr. Toye.” Garden & Gun. April/May 2010. www.gardenandgun.com. Accessed Oct. 20, 2022; Robertson, Campbell. “For a Longtime Forger, Adding One Last Touch.” The New York Times. June 7, 2011. www.nytimes.com. Accessed Oct. 20, 2022; “44 Paintings are Destroyed.” The Times-Picayune. Sept. 3, 1969; “Exhibit Based on Storyville.” The Times-Picayune¬. May 9, 1968.
  • Condition: If Condition is NOT stated in the description of the lot, the absence of a condition report does not indicate the lot is free of damage or condition issues. Available Condition Reports will appear as an additional image. Condition Reports and photographs may be requested on items until the Wednesday prior to the auction. Bid accordingly. All sales are final, no returns are accepted on the basis of condition.

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November 19, 2022 11:00 AM CST
New Orleans, LA, US

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