"Paint And Switch?" – Alec Baldwin Suspects Betrayal

The New York Times recently reported that actor Alec Baldwin contends he was betrayed by a gallery owner and artist, whom he thought had made his dream come true. Baldwin has long admired a 1996 painting by Ross Bleckner titled "Sea and Mirror." He even carried an image of the painting in his wallet. So when a gallery owner reported that she could deliver the painting to Baldwin, he paid the $190,000 and hung the painting in his Manhattan office.

A few months later, Baldwin discovered there was something off about the painting—the "new" smell, the colors. Baldwin now contends that the gallery owner sent him a copy of the painting, and tried to pass it off as the original.

Counsel for the gallery owner denies any wrongdoing by his client. He reported that Baldwin was advised that he was going to receive a different version of "Sea and Mirror" painted by Bleckner. Baldwin denies ever being told that he was receiving a copy.