Artist Accused of Art Forgery and Plagiarism

Artist Jane Allan faces plagiarism accusations for allegedly copying works by Nicholas Harding and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Her paintings, including Seascape Explorers and Weight of the Mind's Periapt, are under scrutiny for similarities to existing art.

Bacon informed the outlet that Seascape Explorers is “specifically the same” as Harding’s Two Tidewater Numbers (2011 ), with the primary distinction being in range as Allan “has obviously just increased it out, but the placement of the figures, the treatment of the canvas, the placement of the rocks and the sea, whatever resembles the little initial.” Both figures feature two rough-hewn numbers in a semi-abstract landscape, with thick applications of paint. Bacon claimed Harding’s 2 Estuary Figures sold at a 2011 public auction for $14,000 and is not popular.

After this preliminary information broke, the Guardianreported that the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, the nation’s resources, mentioned that one more Allan paint, Weight of the Mind’s Periapt (2021 ), was “clearly influenced” by Basquiat’s 1982 canvas Untitled (Two Heads on Gold). Allan’s job was a 2022 finalist for the Darling Picture Prize, which is administered by the National Portrait Gallery.

Allegations of Duplication Surface

Previously today, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that Philip Bacon, an art dealer based in Brisbane, had charged Allan of creating a “outright duplicate” of a 2011 paint by Nicholas Harding, whose estate Bacon stands for. Allan’s Seascape Explorers won in the landscape category of the 2025 edition of the Doyles Art Awards, which was developed in 2004 and now features a prize of 20,000 Australian bucks (about $13,800).

Basquiat’s 1982 paint, which last cost $4.6 million at a Sotheby’s night sale in 2003, features two numbers dealing with each various other, against a primarily sea green history. Allan’s 2021 job has similarities to the right-hand number, as the facility of each figures’ face is rendered in the exact same block-like fashion, with bronze eyes, a grid-like open mouth, and an upside-down, T-shaped nose.

Similarities to Basquiat’s Work

Jane Allan, an artist based in Lennox Head, a seaside community located regarding two hours south of Brisbane, goes to the facility of a conflict concerning her paintings, as reported by multiple Australian information outlets.

The Doyle Honors added, “Know that we are taking this seriously and require time to work through our procedures,” per the Brisbane Times. Harding’s kid, Samuel, told the paper, “Musicians of Nicholas Harding’s stature certainly influence others. … But influence and imitation are really various points. This case is a pointer of the relevance of due diligence, provenance and respect for artists’ intellectual property.”

Harding Family Responds

After this preliminary information broke, the Guardianreported that the National Picture Gallery in Canberra, the nation’s resources, stated that another Allan painting, Weight of the Mind’s Periapt (2021 ), was “clearly influenced” by Basquiat’s 1982 canvas Untitled (Two Heads on Gold). Allan’s work was a 2022 finalist for the Beloved Portrait Prize, which is provided by the National Portrait Gallery.

Bacon raised his concerns throughout the run of the 2026 edition, which is presently on view with June 28. In feedback, the awards’ organizers, per ABC, released a statement stating, “It appears as though one of last year’s winning works is an imitation of a Nicholas Harding art work. Jennifer Doyle, who cofounded the awards, informed ABC that the scenario was “a shame.

Awards Organizers Acknowledge Issue

Both figures feature 2 rough-hewn figures in a semi-abstract landscape, with thick applications of paint. Bacon said Harding’s 2 Estuary Figures offered at a 2011 auction for $14,000 and is not well recognized.