Tag Archives: The Forger’s Spell

Bamboozling Forger Defends his Non-Nazi(?) Honor

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…by proving his forgeries were in fact his.

The story of Van Meegeren’s Vermeer forgeries is legendary. The New York Times has a series of in depth articles about his life, the forgeries that pulled the wool over the eyes of the biggest collector of the day, no less than Reichsmarshal Hermann Göring, and how he later had to prove that the paintings he had sold were actually forgeries to escape charges of being a Nazi collaborator (which he likely was).Van Meegeren’s story is fascinating in all its details, likes how he mixed bakelite into his paintings and baked them to give them the appearance of age or the book of sentimental drawings he made Hitler.

The articles are based on two books that came out this past year, one of which, The Forger’s Spell by Edward Dolnick, I read and would recommend. In fact, I did recommend it, and included an interesting side story to boot. Interviews with both authors were interesting, and I can’t wait for part 3 to come out.

You can also gawk at how bad some of Van Meegeren’s ‘Vermeers‘ were.


Just Kidding–the last one is a real Vermeer. And it’s actually coming to New York, as a loan to the Met for a Dutch painting exhibition in the fall.

Can you spot a forgery?

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Most people can’t, probably because art forgers can be damnably clever and bold. I’ve been reading The Forger’s Spell by Edward Dolnick, a book full of intrigue and intriguing personalities, over part of my vacation.

In addition to tales of Hitler and his second-in-command Hermann Goering’s race to collect a Vermeer while ravaging Europe, Dolnick includes the fascinating story of Abraham Kuffner. Kuffner was a painter in the early 19th C. who realized the importance of using old materials when creating a fake as well as maintaining a impressive provenance. In 1799, the city of Nuremberg graciously (foolishly…) agreed to lend him it’s prized Albrecht Durer self portrait for the artist to copy.

Kuffner did more than copy the work. This painting was done on a wood panel an inch thick, and the back of it was spangled with seals and marks of past owners. Kuffner simply sawed it into two halves; one half contains Durer’s self-portrait and the other half the seals. He produces his copy onto the original wood panel, and sends his fake back to the city on the original board it came. Nobody noticed the difference, and Kuffner had his very own Durer.

Nuremberg did eventually find out that it’s famous Durer was simultaneously on display in Munich–6 years later Kuffner had sold the real Durer.

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Art Reads: Straight Up or With a Twist?

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I enjoy art history straight up, but I don’t mind it with a twist. Lately, I’ve stumbled upon more than one exciting new fiction read that takes you into the art world. The fine arts get plenty of non-fiction, wether they are art historical or, like the bestselling 7 Days in the Art World, sociological. Artist’s biographies are fascinating. While I might indulge in a little creative biographical fiction, Leonardo’s Muse or whathaveyou, I put those books on the shelve right above the romance novels. I can admit to another weakness though, which developed out of a passion for Agatha Christie and art.
Art heist and forgery books get me every time, and it doesn’t matter to me if they are based on real life. Clever, with the most interesting characters (when they aren’t out and out thugs) involving passion, nerve, and wiles I love these escapades. I secretly hope that if I read enough of them I’ll be able to pull off my own heist. I just finished The Art Theif’s Guide to Paris, which, if not plausible, does involve a theft from the Pompidou and a forgery, making it the best of both worlds. The Forger’s Spell : a True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century is on my list next.
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