Jeff Koons has often been accused of plagiarism (Anthony WALLACE)
<p>Paris (AFP) – A Paris appeals court has upheld an order for American pop artist Jeff Koons to pay damages after deeming that his sculpture "Naked" had plagiarised another artwork.</p><p>The court this week stood by a ruling two years ago that found the 1988 porcelain sculpture of two naked children had copied a photograph by French artist Jean-Francois Bauret, according to documents seen by AFP on Saturday.</p><p>It said the artist’s company Jeff Koons LLC and the Pompidou Centre in Paris, where his work was due to be displayed, must together pay 20,000 euros ($22,000) to Bauret’s family.</p><p>Jeff Koons LLC must pay another 4,000 euros to the family of the late photographer for using a picture of the sculpture, part of his "Banality" series, on his website.</p><p>Stephanie Legrand, the lawyer for Bauret’s heirs, welcomed the ruling.</p><p>"The continued use of his image in France is banned by the court, which is a great success for my clients," she said. She also welcomed the court ruling confirming the responsibility of the Pompidou Centre.</p><p>Koons has often been accused of plagiarism, but he says he is merely an appropriation artist.</p><p>The "Naked" sculpture was due to have been displayed in a major Jeff Koons retrospective at the Pompidou contemporary art museum from November 2014 to April 2015.</p><p>It never actually went on show because it was damaged during transport but pictures of it were reproduced in advertising and in media reports.</p><p>The sculpture, which stands a little over one metre (three feet) high, depicts a little boy offering a bouquet of flowers to a young girl. A copy of the work sold for $8 million in 2008.</p><p>The court ruled that the sculpture was a copy of Bauret’s photograph "Enfants" which was published in 1975 in the form of a postcard, and depicted two naked children in an identical pose.</p><p>In 2018 a Paris court said he had copied a 1980s advertisement for clothing chain Naf Naf for his 1988 "Fait d’Hiver" — also part of the Banality Series — which shows a pig standing over a woman lying on her back.</p><p></p>

Disclaimer: Validity of the above story is for 7 Days from original date of publishing. Source: AFP.