Did Paarlite 'dupe' the Queen?
2009-08-13
A PAARLITE, Glenn Strutt (39), this week made international news headlines for allegedly duping the Queen’s art collection into accepting paintings from an almost unknown artist. And not only has Strutt left the Royal Collection blushing, but also the highly respected London auctioneers, Bonhams, who sold three paintings of Strutt’s unknown artist for £28 000. The controversy surrounds the art works of one Helen Anne Petrie, whom Strutt has been promoting in some of the most respected art houses in England. If one searches for Petrie’s name on the internet, various impressive biographies arise. According to these, Petrie was born in 1933 to a wealthy Johannesburg family who had made their money from gold and diamonds. Petrie’s biography claims that her artwork can be seen in the private collections of amongst others John F Kennedy, Frank Sinatra and David and Victoria Beckham. But according to a report by the Sunday Times in London, the website entries about Petrie lead directly to Strutt, and according to them, it is doubtful whether she ever existed. And much of the information in her biography contains factual errors as well as contradicting dates. According to Strutt’s parents, who still live in Paarl, their son purchased the “reclusive” artist’s work at an auction in Fish Hoek, after her death in 2006.
Strutt left South Africa under a cloud in the 1990's after his company called International Helping Hands, which assisted au pairs in finding jobs in Europe, did not deliver the goods.
He was prosecuted for fraud, but left the country when the case was withdrawn on condition that he repay his debts.
A Paarl art dealer, David Zetler, alleges that Strutt tried to sell him forgeries earlier this year, including works which were supposed to be by well-known artist Frans Claerhout. Zetler, an acclaimed art connoisseur, has never heard of Helen Anne Petrie, nor have other experts. Strutt is now reported to be living in Geneva, where he is involved in the art trade. While Petrie may not have achieved fame during her life time, due to Strutt’s ingenuity, he may just have succeeded in eternalising her.
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