Suspicious Bob Dylan Art Print

Hello there! I'm hoping for some advice on an item I bought.

A few weeks ago, I won an auction for a Bob Dylan Art Print. This was the photo the auction house provided in the listing:

I'm a huge fan of Dylan, but not an expert in his signature. But this looked good to me. Very consistent with the style he uses on the Drawn Blank series.

However, when it arrived, it was a completely different item, with this signature:

This looks absolutely nothing like any Dylan signature I've ever seen. I think I got ripped off. But before taking action, I wanted to ask the experts here about it. Is there any possible way this is legitimate?

Thanks so much for your time!

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on March 10, 2025 at 11:44pm

If you were sold one item and received another I think that is a problem.

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Permalink Reply by Stepeanut on March 11, 2025 at 2:07am

I don’t like either signature. I know Bob can be fast and loose at times, but neither matches any example I’ve seen previously from the Beaten Path 2016 series. Also, they both look too large, based on the area of the print shown vs. known, authentic examples of the same print.

It would have been useful if you’d provided a little more information, but I’ve gone digging and found the auction listing:

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/192623488_bob-dylan-giclee-pri...

This print was a limited edition of 295, not 200, so there’s your slam dunk in clawing your money back.

Here is the listing for this print from Bob’s official art dealer, Castle Fine Art:

https://www.castlefineart.com/uk/art/bob-dylan/amusement-park-alleyway

I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Good luck.

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Permalink Reply by JK on March 11, 2025 at 2:37am

This was part of the description in the auction:

The artwork is created in the artistic style reminiscent of Bob Dylan.

Part of that statement was also in the auction title.

"In the style of" has a particular meaning in the art auction world.

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Permalink Reply by Stepeanut To JK on March 11, 2025 at 2:43am

I noticed that as well, and you’re quite right. The seller might try to use this description to wriggle out of refunding the buyer, to which I would counter that Washington Green, Dylan’s art publisher, would no doubt see this as an infringement on their intellectual property.

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Permalink Reply by JK To Stepeanut on March 11, 2025 at 3:00am

I would assume/agree that Dylan or his people might have something to say about the print and the signature, but I'm not sure that helps the buyer. A buyer would not have any standing in regard to copyright or intellectual property infringements.

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Permalink Reply by Stepeanut To JK on March 11, 2025 at 3:06am

Again, you’re right, but the threat of making this a bigger problem for the seller might be enough to secure a refund.

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Permalink Reply by JK To JK on March 11, 2025 at 3:27am

Further down in the auction description is this important gem:

"It's crucial to understand that all items in this catalog are sold in the artistic style of the original creator, in accordance with the Platform sale rules. "In the artist's style" indicates that the piece is not listed in the artist's documented catalog, and it may have been painted by the artist or someone else inspired by the artist's style. The origin of this piece is uncertain."

Also, the Terms & Conditions, which the bidder agreed to, include the standard disclaimers, lots "sold as-is" language, etc. The terms of art and antiques auctions - online or in person - pretty much indemnity the auctioneer from almost anything. It's a true "buyer beware" situation.

That seller seems to deal in lots of "in the style of" artworks, so I'm sure they've covered their bases.

About the only potential lifeline I see, and it might still not be actionable, is the high auction estimate of $10,000 - $18,000. Such an estimate, especially as high as it is, could only be for an authentic Dylan artwork.

Buying art at auction can be treacherous, and buyers must read and understand every word of the description and the terms and conditions. This isn't ebay where you can return things for almost any reason.

The auction listing said the print was framed, so there must have been a hefty shipping charge, as there would be even if they agreed to a return. I suspect this experience might end up being a tuition payment for the buyer.

To be very clear, I am not defending these sorts of sales techniques. I am merely sharing my understanding of what I read in the auction listing and I am sharing what I know about the auction world based on my own experience.

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Permalink Reply by Stepeanut To JK on March 11, 2025 at 3:49am

I read the full thing as well. I’m just trying to think of potential angles to help the buyer. I can’t deny it was very naive of him to buy the print in the first place, but, if it were me, I wouldn’t just suck up the loss without some sort of fight, or at the very least kicking the hornets’ nest.

The print isn’t simply in the style of Dylan, despite the verbiage. It’s a straight reproduction of an original, copyrighted work of art, with a forged signature. Again, I think Washington Green would be interested in this, and it’s in the seller’s interest not to get involved in an expensive legal battle with the publisher.

I agree that the auction estimate was outrageous. Even if it was an original Dylan print, it wouldn’t be worth that much. As it happens, the buyer paid USD $500, plus 18% BP, plus whatever other taxes and shipping they added on. It’s a not inconsiderable sum, but it could have been a lot worse.

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Permalink Reply by hbw60 on March 11, 2025 at 3:32am

Thanks so much for your help, everyone! Bob Dylan has been in my top three most-wanted signatures for years, but I can't afford the general going rate. I paid $600 and was hoping I got a rare deal, but I should have known better. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.

I also should have translated the page to learn that listing it "In the style of" a Dylan print was a huge red flag.

I'm going to ask for a return, so thank you for the advice. My hope is that because I did not receive the item in the photo, that I have a good argument.

I'm usually very careful about these things, but I got suckered in by the low price, which is about the most amateur mistake you can make in this hobby. So thank you all again for your help!

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Permalink Reply by JK To hbw60 on March 11, 2025 at 3:52am

If by chance they accept your (valid) argument that you did not get what you bid on, they theoretically should be on the hook for all the shipping charges, and maybe they'll just cut their losses and refund the purchase price.

As a long-shot last resort if you do get stuck with it, I'd write to Dylan or his people to share the details of this incident. They might be interested in this situation. It's probably just wishful thinking, but maybe they'd show their appreciation by cutting you a deal on a real one.