An art collector reported a forged painting swapped for his original masterpiece while he was away for the weekend. The gallery owner claimed no one entered the building. The detective inspected the painting's canvas edges under a magnifying glass and noticed fresh acrylic paint smudges. The collector's original painting was painted in 1850 using oil paints. The detective arrested the collector. Why?
Oil paint takes years to dry, but acrylic paint dries fast, or acrylic wasn't invented in 1850.
Acrylic paint was not invented until the mid-20th century. Finding fresh acrylic paint on a purported 19th-century oil painting proves the collector forged or swapped it himself recently for insurance fraud.
About this riddle
Detective riddles are tiny mysteries. Look for the detail in the story that does not fit; it is usually the clue that solves the case.
Difficulty: Medium. More like this: Detective riddles with answers or try Truth & Lie Island for a different kind of puzzle.
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