Last but not least: A real Mandela
A gallery is selling lithographs that are allegedly by Nelson Mandela. The anti-apartheid activist has now taken legal action.
The story is a familiar one: An art gallery sells works allegedly made by a famous person, thereby increasing the value of the pieces, but the person concerned is still alive and, as the stuff is being marketed in their name, takes legal action. The main characters in the latest stage play of this pattern are London's Belgravia Gallery and South African anti-apartheid campaigner Nelson Mandela. The gallery claims to be in possession of lithographs made by Mandela on Robben Island in 2001 or 2002. Mandela has stated that he distances himself from the works and has instructed a law firm to handle the case. However, there is an unintentionally tasteless side to the story: Robben Island is the prison island where Mandela was locked up for around 18 years in a solitary cell measuring six square meters, where one or two genuine Mandela lithographs are sure to be found.
