Shock and outrage has been expressed by many people living and working around Loch Ness as news broke today that the charcoal drawing by Dutch artist Maurits Cornelis Escher maybe nothing more than an audacious international art “scam”.
Certain art punters have dubbed the work as the “Loch Ness monster and black man without a face” but the managing director of the company that licences all of the artist’s work is dismissive. Mark Veldhusen, managing director of the MC Escher Company B.V. of Baarn in the Netherlands, told The Highland News that “no-one had ever contacted his company or M.C. Escher Foundation which promotes Escher’s work about the ‘so-called piece of art'”.
“This drawing is not made by M.C. Escher and the signature on the back does not belong to Mr. Escher” he added.
Professor Kettle, in charge of his Loch Ness project said, “it’s very distressing to learn that some people may be behind a scam or attempt to mis-lead people about the elusive Loch Ness Monster. Nessie is a real cryptozoological beast (cryptid) and serious research to find her continues. We will not be sidetracked by this tittle tattle”.