麻豆社

A painting sold at auction for nearly 拢8.5 million is has been declared a fake by Sotheby's.

The auction house said it had "rescinded the sale and reimbursed the client in full" after tests revealed the painting, An Unknown Man, was "undoubtedly" forged.

The work, sold 5 years ago, which had been attributed to the Dutch painter Fans Hals, was tested after another faked Old Master painting was seized by French police earlier this year.

The art historian Bendor Grosvenor told 麻豆社 Radio 4's The World at One programme that the artist had made the painting look so authentic he felt like "we're dealing with the best faker of all time".

(Photo: Portrait of a Man painting by Franz Hals Credit: Sothebys)