Investigating art experts and appraisers as potential white-collar criminals: Theorizing art fraud convenience

Abstract

This conceptual paper investigates the role of art experts and appraisers in white-collar crime through the lens of convenience theory. As gatekeepers of authenticity, provenance, and valuation, art appraisers hold significant power in shaping market outcomes. Yet, the opacity of appraisal processes and the asymmetry of knowledge between experts and clients might create opportunities for misconduct. This study explores how deviant behaviour among art professionals can be understood through the interaction of three key dimensions of convenience theory: personal greed, social decay, and learning. Drawing on documented cases of art fraud, including the Knoedler Gallery scandal, the paper illustrates how systemic vulnerabilities, and professional incentives may facilitate ethical transgressions. This research contributes to the broader discourse on white-collar crime by theorizing how structural and situational factors shape decision-making and accountability in the art market.