The Imitation Game: The Family (fake)

This isn’t my favorite topic, but since these fakes keep appearing everywhere, it’s worth addressing. I’ve been studying Klimt for quite some time—not formally, but with deep passion and commitment. Over the years, I’ve noticed that many images shared online and in various circles are clearly not by Klimt. I once compiled an album to document these misattributions, and I feel compelled to raise the issue again.

Sadly, many artworks circulating on the internet today have no connection to Klimt’s originals, even though they’re often presented and sold as such. One example is a so-called Klimt painting titled The Family. Now, to be clear: Klimt did create a painting that is sometimes referred to as The Family, but its proper title is usually Mother with Two Children or The Emigrants, and it dates from around 1909–1910. It depicts a woman—presumably a mother—lying with two children in a tender, intimate grouping. The palette is subdued, the mood quiet and contemplative. This is a genuine, finished work, housed in the Belvedere in Vienna and well documented in Klimt scholarship.

The fake Family, on the other hand, is a digital collage made from elements of Klimt’s actual works: the adult figures are lifted from Death and Life, the child from The Three Ages of Woman, and the golden background from yet another painting. The figures are mirrored and rearranged to create a new, fabricated “Klimt.” And yes, it’s widely sold. The piece was possibly (not sure about this) created by a digital artist named Dodi Ballada, but the troubling part is that it bears Klimt’s signature—making it a forgery. I can assure you it’s not listed in any of the major catalogues raisonnés of Klimt’s work.

So please, don’t be misled. Always double-check what you’re buying or sharing.
Below this text, I’ve included full images so you can compare the fake with the original works it was constructed from.