Art auctions and false advertising at sea

The New York Times, Art Purchases Lead to Lawsuits Following Cruise Ship Auctions: "When most people think of art auctions, they think of Christie’s or Sotheby’s in New York or London, not a cruise ship. But over the last two decades, auctioning ‘fine art’ on cruises, often to first-time bidders who have never met a reserve or inspected a provenance, has become big business."

Law.com, Cruise Passengers Claim Gallery Short-Changed Them During Voyage: "He ended up buying two works on a two-week cruise aboard Celebrity Cruise Lines' Constellation in June 2007. Bouverat said he was told the print and painting he purchased from Park West Gallery were worth about $15,000 apiece. He paid a total of $20,520. Once on land, he says he learned the Miro print was almost worthless, akin to poster art. The other piece was a painting of a clown playing a guitar by Anatole Krasnyansky. Bouverat said Krasnyansky appears to work exclusively in a stable of artists for Southfield, Mich.-based Park West, which bills itself as 'America's premier art dealer.'"

More links available at the Art Law Blog: At Sea (UPDATED)