PeoÂple love stoÂries of sucÂcessÂful crimÂiÂnals. They must posÂsess some admirable qualÂiÂties, we assume, some great darÂing or cunÂning or keen insight. Myths supÂplant realÂiÂty, and we forÂget about the netÂworks of enablers that help ruthÂless but not espeÂcialÂly bright peoÂple sucÂceed. But sucÂcessÂful art forgÂers present us with anothÂer case entireÂly. “ForgÂers, by nature, preÂfer anonymiÂty,” notes the site EssenÂtial VerÂmeer 3.0, “and thereÂfore are rarely rememÂbered.” Yet the eviÂdence of their masÂtery lies inconÂtroÂvertÂibly before us, foolÂing colÂlecÂtors, curaÂtors, and even art hisÂtoÂriÂans. Fakes, may be “the great art of our age.”
Or so claims the subÂtiÂtle of 2013 book Forged, in which philosoÂpher and conÂcepÂtuÂal artist Jonathon Keats surÂveys the careers of six notoÂriÂous forgÂers, includÂing Dutch artist Han van Meegeren, who “tricked the world—and the Nazis—with his counÂterÂfeit VerÂmeer paintÂings,” the TED-Ed lesÂson above tells us.
Van Meegeren’s biogÂraÂphy seems almost scriptÂed. HavÂing failed to interÂest critÂics in his work as a young man, he became embitÂtered and decidÂed to revenge himÂself upon the art world with fakes. His choice of VerÂmeer was “ambiÂtious” to say the least, givÂen the Baroque painter’s repÂuÂtaÂtion for a unique techÂniÂcal brilÂliance.
He worked for six years to re-creÂate Vermeer’s mateÂriÂals and techÂniques and perÂfect an aging process for his canÂvasÂes. The forenÂsic sciÂence that would today detect such methÂods was not sufÂfiÂcientÂly advanced at the time. Yet “even today,” the lesÂson notes, authenÂticÂiÂty is a matÂter of the “subÂjecÂtive judgÂment of speÂcialÂists.” Van Meegeren used such depenÂdence on authorÂiÂty against the experts by creÂatÂing a work he knew would fill in a hisÂtorÂiÂcal gap, an earÂly reliÂgious periÂod of Vermeer’s from which no works surÂvived; also, conÂveÂnientÂly, a periÂod when the artist’s talÂents were less develÂoped.
“In 1937,” EssenÂtial VerÂmeer writes, “AbraÂham Bredius… one of the most authorÂiÂtaÂtive art hisÂtoÂriÂans,” who had “dedÂiÂcatÂed a great part of his life to the study of VerÂmeer” proÂnounced van Meegeren’s fake VerÂmeer, Christ and the DisÂciÂples at Emmaus (detail above), “a hithÂerÂto unknown paintÂing by a great masÂter, untouched, on the origÂiÂnal canÂvas, and withÂout any restoraÂtion, just as it left the painter’s stuÂdio.” His praise was so effuÂsive it allowed no room for doubt. This was “the masÂterÂpiece of Johannes VerÂmeer of Delft… every inch a VerÂmeer.”
Van Meegeren counÂterÂfeitÂed works by sevÂerÂal othÂer Dutch masÂters and “was so good,” says the narÂraÂtor of a Sotheby’s proÂfile, above, “that he duped art experts, museÂums, and even Hitler’s right-hand man HerÂmann Göring.” And here, the usuÂal admiÂraÂtion for art forgers—who can seem like heroÂic trickÂsters next to their greedy, overÂconÂfiÂdent marks—takes a patriÂotÂic turn. Tried for colÂlabÂoÂraÂtion, the forgÂer argued he was in fact a nationÂal hero for tradÂing anothÂer counÂterÂfeit VerÂmeer, Christ with the Woman TakÂen in AdulÂtery (below), to Göring for 200 works of lootÂed Dutch art.
Van Meegeren’s defense dependÂed on him conÂvincÂing the court that he had made the paintÂing. This took some doing. He had even forÂgone using modÂels so there would be no witÂnessÂes. As Sotheby’s DirecÂtor of SciÂenÂtifÂic Research James MarÂtin and art hisÂtoÂriÂan Jonathan Lopez show us, van Meegeren’s work realÂly was that conÂvincÂing, its flaws nearÂly undeÂtectable. He did serve two years for forgery and fraud, but in the end achieved his earÂly desire for artisÂtic fame and his latÂer wish to be regardÂed as an outÂlaw hero. PerÂhaps more than most art world forgÂers, he is deservÂing of both repÂuÂtaÂtions.
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
F for Fake: Orson Welles’ Short Film & TrailÂer That Was NevÂer Released in AmerÂiÂca
Josh Jones is a writer and musiÂcian based in Durham, NC. FolÂlow him at @jdmagness
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