She thought Lady Gaga bought her art. Then things got strange

The email was signed “Stefani Germanotta,” Lady Gaga’s real name. The email address, ladyandkoji@gmail.com, referred to one of the pop singer’s beloved French bulldogs, Koji.

“I am such a huge fan of your work,” it said to Emma Webster, a Los Angeles-based landscape painter who uses virtual-reality imaging.

“I’m wondering if you might have any paintings available?” the message continued. “I’m expanding my collection which is anchored by powerful female artists such as Kusama, Frankenthaler, Louise Bourgeois, Lynda Benglis and many more. Your work would compliment it so delightfully! It would be very special. Thank you kindly and looking forward to hearing from you, Stefani.”

Webster was elated. In 2022, when she got the first email, she had just achieved a level of prominence, following three exhibitions in a row that had created a waiting list for her work. But catching the eye of Lady Gaga, whose celebrity and standing as a collector was significant, could exponentially elevate her profile.

Artists, and the galleries that represent them, generally give preference to prominent collectors or museums. Placing a work in this way can influence the visibility of an artist, the trajectory of their careers and their ultimate legacy. Artists try to avoid speculators or investors who might want to buy something to flip it for a quick profit, a process that can create a speculative – and often unsustainable – bubble.

Though Lady Gaga was the kind of collector one hopes to cultivate, Webster was coming off several shows and mostly out of inventory. But she did have one painting available, “Happy Valley” – a 7x10 foot kaleidoscopic pastoral scene.

Stefani wrote back that she’d like the painting and asked for a discount (often granted to special clients), which Webster granted, gently asking some proof of identity.

“A lot of love goes into the work, and I try to be diligent about where the paintings go when they leave the studio,” Webster wrote. “I typically sell to collectors I’ve met in-person. Could you please verify your identity in some way …? Stoked to join your beautiful art collection!”

Stefani subsequently sent a casual selfie. It was a picture of Lady Gaga, seemingly at home, wearing a gray sweater, black glasses and hoop earrings.

“Here’s a little snap of me rolling some quick biz before jumping on the road!,” the email said. “I’ll be out of town starting tonight but my darling assistant will be monitoring email and getting bills paid.”

Webster subsequently received the agreed-upon payment of $55,000 and prepared the painting for pick up. She went on to write Stefani: “I also politely request not to resell the painting for five years. Hope that’s cool – the market is just crazy w art flipping rn.” (As a postscript in response to Stefani’s selfie, Webster added, “koot glasses btw!”)

Stefani responded: “absolutely, NEVER selling.”

Two years later, Webster’s father was scrolling through Instagram when he spotted that same painting by his daughter in a post from Christie’s auction house.

“Ready for the art month marathon in Hong Kong? To kickstart this exciting month at Christie’s, we’re thrilled to unveil one of the most fascinating lots in our upcoming Post-Millennium Evening Sale – ‘Happy Valley’ by Emma Webster!”

He immediately alerted Webster, who was taken aback.

Collectors are typically expected to hold onto their purchases indefinitely and, if they for some reason need to sell the work, to offer it first to the original source (usually a gallery, but in this case the artist).

“I was like, ‘Why on earth would Lady Gaga be auctioning off this painting?’ ” Webster, 36, said in an interview.

Looking back, the artist recalls some red flags. The shipping slip brought by the art handler who picked up the painting, for example, indicated that the work was going to temporary storage. The address of the final recipient, “Chris Horton” – whom Stefani had identified in an email as her “house mgr” – was missing.

After discovering the Instagram post, Webster reached Lady Gaga’s manager, Bobby Campbell.

“I fear that you have been fooled by someone pretending to be her,” he wrote in an email. “She does not have this email nor do we have a house manager named Chris. My sincere apologies that you were duped!”

Eventually, Webster learned that the painting had been consigned for sale by Christie’s by Matt Chung, a Hong Kong gallerist.

Webster asked the auction house to pull the artwork from the upcoming sale, which it did, but it refused to return it as she requested.

Christie’s said it will await resolution of the dispute between Webster and the consignor before taking the next step toward transferring or selling the work.

“As per policy,” a spokesperson said, “and as a neutral party, once a work is consigned to us, we are obligated to hold onto it in the event of an issue until that issue is resolved.”

Chung, the consignor, told Webster and her lawyer, Thaddeus Stauber, in an email that he had acquired the artwork through John Wolf, a Los Angeles art adviser, and had been “unaware of any fraudulent activity” and “was also a victim of the unfortunate circumstances.”

He said to resolve the issue, he was willing to share some of the proceeds – 30% – from any auction sale with Webster, but she rejected the offer through her lawyer. In May, Chung filed a civil action in Hong Kong, saying that he had a legal agreement with Christie’s and that the painting should be returned to him.

Stauber said Webster has reported the painting as stolen and the FBI is investigating. The federal agency declined to comment.

“Protecting artists from bad actors in the marketplace is a worthwhile exercise,” Stauber said. “When people breach the trust artists place in collectors, it does significant damage.”

Luke Nikas, a lawyer who often represents art market clients, said California law treats the impersonation of someone with the intent to gain a benefit as a misdemeanor. On the civil side, he said, such a misrepresentation of identity could be the basis for a fraud claim.

“It’s really important for artists to be able to have some degree of control over their marketplace,” Nikas added. “Artists choose carefully who they want their collectors to be in order to build their market in the right way.”

Reached by phone, Wolf acknowledged having sold the painting to Chung but denied having had any dealings with Webster. Asked where he had acquired the painting, he said: “I’ve never been involved with a direct purchase from her. This is just so out of left field.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.