Found under the mattress paintings by Malevich: experts doubt their authenticity.

'Three unknown paintings found under the mattress of an Israeli retiree are claimed to be by Kazimir Malevich, says their owner. Although the paintings have been exhibited in a state museum in Bucharest, the museum does not guarantee their authenticity. A leading expert doubts their origin, reports the BBC.

According to Korrespondent.net: In 2023, we were moving grandmother Eva from one apartment to another. When we packed all the things and were about to leave, she suddenly said: 'Wait, please lift the mattress,' claims Israeli businessman Yaniv Cohen.

Suspicious Malevich paintings on display in Bucharest

Cohen says he persuaded his wife’s grandmother to leave the old mattress, but she insisted, and under the mattress, they found five paintings.

'It turned out that three of them belong to the brush of Kazimir Malevich,' assures Cohen.

Questionable origin of Malevich's paintings

Three paintings are presented as works of Kazimir Malevich at the exhibition at the National Museum of Contemporary Art in Romania. The exhibition is sponsored by a local dental clinic owned by Cohen.

However, to prove Malevich's authorship of these paintings, provenance is lacking - the previous history of the artworks from the moment of creation by Malevich to the exhibition in Bucharest. This was stated by Ukrainian-American art historian and curator of the provenance research guide at the American Alliance of Museums, Konstantin Akinsha.

In Israel, three unknown paintings claimed by their owner to belong to Kazimir Malevich were found under the retiree's mattress. However, experts express doubts about their origin, as there is no previous history of these artworks. The paintings have already been presented at an exhibition in Bucharest, but there is currently no confirmation of their authenticity.