The Turk's Head pub in Dublin has agreed to pay undisclosed damages to painter Graham Knuttel after it exhibited imitations of the artist's work.
A settlement which includes damages, costs and injunctive restraints was awarded to the artist by Judge Michael White in the Circuit Civil Court yesterday.
Mr David Barniville, counsel for Mr Knuttel, said the artist had sued the proprietors of The Turk's Head in Parliament Street, Dublin, after it had been discovered they were exhibiting counterfeits of Night on the Town, Love in the Afternoon and Foyer Regent Palace Hotel. The copies first appeared in the Turk's Head two years ago. When Mr Knuttel contacted the pub to ask the management to take them down, it refused. The copies were signed with the name Dan Quinn, although it is not known whether this is a pseudonym. One of the originals was in the collection of the actor Sylvester Stallone. Mr Stallone bought 30 paintings and after the California earthquake devastated his collection he bought another 15.
Another of the originals was bought by Frank Sinatra's manager, Mr Jerry Weintraub, and the third had been on the wall of Renards night club in Dublin until it was damaged by fire.
When the Turk's Head refused to remove the paintings, Mr Knuttel sought and received a temporary injunction restraining the pub from displaying the pictures, which were handed over to the painter for destruction. The painter said yesterday he was happy with the outcome. "This sort of thing is happening all the time and we have got to nip it in the bud. Artists have no organisation like the performing rights organisation which will do it for us, so we have to do it ourselves."
The management of the Turk's Head would not comment yesterday.