Buzz
Art itself is an intriguing subject, but the commercial side of art is even more curious. When a painting is authenticated as a genuine masterpiece, its value can skyrocket in both galleries and auction houses. The dealer earns a commission, the auction house takes its share, and the buyer acquires a work of art that will only increase in value. No one is keen on discovering that the painting is worthless down the road. Hence, even dubious works often go unquestioned.
Authorities estimate that nearly 50 percent of the art sold on the global market could be forged. Many major museums are believed to have collections with up to 20 percent of pieces being fakes. For example, in April 2018, a museum in France uncovered that 82 of its 140 Etienne Terrus paintings were fraudulent. The forgeries were only detected when a sharp-eyed visitor realized that some of the buildings depicted in the paintings were constructed after the artist's death. Oops.
Artists often receive only a small percentage of the sale price for their valuable artwork. On occasion, these artists decide to take matters into their own hands.
10. Han Van Meegeren
In 1932, Han van Meegeren, feeling stung by accusations that his work lacked originality, decided to craft a completely new and unique piece in the style of the great Johannes Vermeer. He told himself that once the artwork was accepted by esteemed scholars, he would reveal it as a hoax.
He produced the painting known as Supper at Emmaus, using authentic 17th-century canvas and only pigments that would have been available during that time. He also mixed Bakelite into the paints, a substance that made the paints harden like stone, creating the illusion of age.
The painting was hailed as a masterpiece and purchased by a Dutch gallery, where it became the star attraction of their exhibition. Van Meegeren's chance to reveal the deception arrived—and passed. Instead, he opted to create another fake. And then another. And another.
In 1945, Van Meegeren made the mistake of selling one of his Vermeers to the Nazi leader Hermann Goering. After the war, he was accused of treason for selling a national treasure to a high-ranking member of the Nazi party. Van Meegeren was forced to confess, claiming the work was a forgery. He quickly became famous—not just as the world's most skilled art forger but also as 'the man who swindled Goering.'
Had Van Meegeren not admitted to his forgeries, he might have successfully deceived the art world for much longer.
9. Michelangelo
Michelangelo’s early career involved art forgery. One of his first works, a statue known as the Sleeping Cupid (or just Cupid), was created while he was employed by Lorenzo di Pierfranseco. Di Pierfranseco asked Michelangelo to 'alter it so it seemed like an ancient artifact.' The intention was to pass it off as a piece from the past, unaware that Michelangelo’s work would one day be more valuable than any authentic ancient sculpture.
Cardinal Raffaello Riario purchased the piece but demanded a refund after realizing it had been artificially aged. Still, he was so impressed by Michelangelo’s craftsmanship that he refrained from pressing charges. Instead, he paid Michelangelo for his work and invited him to Rome, where Michelangelo’s career flourished at the Vatican, much to both of their benefit.
Michelangelo’s Sleeping Cupid was eventually acquired by King Charles I of England, but it is believed to have been destroyed in a palace fire in 1698.
8. Reinhold Vasters
Reinhold Vasters was a skilled German goldsmith, but he was also a notable forger, though not in a legitimate sense. Numerous works attributed to him have surfaced in private collections and museums, with many more likely waiting to be uncovered.
Vasters earned accolades for his work, including a prize at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. He was known for creating religious pieces in gold and silver. After the death of his wife, it is believed he turned to forgery to provide for his family. His most notable forgeries were Renaissance-style jewelry, with several pieces found in the Rothschild collection.
By 1984, the Met Museum had uncovered 45 counterfeit works within their own collection, all attributed to Vasters, including the Rospigliosi Cup, once believed to be crafted by Benvenuto Cellini. However, the Met wasn't the only institution to fall victim. The Walters Museum also acquired a piece titled Vessel In The Form of a Sea Monster (pictured above), which they initially thought was carved by Alessandro Miseroni and gilded by Hans Vermeyen in the early 17th century. It turned out to be another forgery by Vasters.
The forgeries remained undetected for 60 years after Vaster's death, leaving a sense of uncertainty about how many other fakes he may have produced—a thought that must be unnerving for collectors.
7. Elmyr De Hory
Elmyr de Hory was a master of deception. After World War II, he relocated to the US, where he portrayed himself as a dispossessed Hungarian aristocrat who had survived a concentration camp and was now selling off family heirlooms to survive. This backstory, however, was not verifiable and was likely fabricated. It is said that during his career, he sold over 1,000 forgeries, many of which remain undiscovered.
After struggling in his artistic career, de Hory sold a pen-and-ink drawing to a woman who mistook it for a Picasso, thus igniting a new chapter in his life. He went on to sell more forged Picassos, claiming they were part of his family’s collection. His forgery portfolio expanded to include works by Matisse, Modigliani, Renoir, and others.
Suspicion arose when de Hory sold a ‘Matisse’ to the Fogg Art Museum, followed by a ‘Modigliani’ and a ‘Renoir,’ all of which suspiciously shared similar characteristics. In 1955, he was charged with mail fraud after selling a painting through the post. Despite this, he kept forging, moving between cities and continuing to sell his ‘family heirlooms.’
De Hory’s downfall began after he partnered with Fernand Legros. Having gained notoriety in the art world, de Hory ‘retired’ abroad, with Legros handling the sales of his paintings and taking a very generous share. Unfortunately, Legros was careless. He sold 56 forgeries to a Texan oil magnate, whose furious response drew global attention. The scandal made de Hory a celebrity, but the end came when he was ordered for extradition. Rather than face prison, he took his own life in 1976.
In an ironic twist, Elmyr de Hory’s own works are now highly sought after. ‘Fake forgeries’ have surfaced in auctions around the world, with other artists impersonating de Hory, who himself had been impersonating others.
6. Robert Driessen
Robert Driessen began his artistic journey by selling tourist art in Holland, later progressing to creating paintings ‘in the style of’ renowned artists. Eventually, he moved on to outright forgery. Driessen is particularly famous for his copies of works by Alberto Giacometti, whose pieces can fetch millions at auction.
The art of forgery can be incredibly profitable, and for a while, Driessen amassed significant wealth. It is believed that he earned millions from the sale of his forged artworks.
In 2005, Robert Driessen fled to Thailand after a warrant for his arrest was issued in Germany. He claims that art dealers, who had made millions from selling his fakes, paid him to leave the country to avoid the ensuing scandal. It is estimated that over 1,000 of Driessen’s forgeries are still in circulation, many of which have yet to be uncovered.
5. Tom Keating
Tom Keating is often regarded as the most significant forger of the 20th century. He focused primarily on creating watercolors in the style of Samuel Palmer and oil paintings inspired by old masters. Having failed to gain recognition as an artist, Keating rejected the art gallery system, which he considered ‘utterly rotten.’ He believed galleries and dealers exploited artists, making huge profits while paying the creators next to nothing. His forgeries were his way of righting this imbalance.
Keating cleverly embedded ‘time bombs’ in his artwork by writing sarcastic comments on the canvas in white lead before beginning the painting process. When the artwork was X-rayed, the messages would appear. He also intentionally included glaring errors in the pieces and used materials that didn’t match the era. On one occasion, he even painted a piece backwards! Only those motivated by greed, like certain art dealers looking for quick profit, would have overlooked these obvious signs of forgery.
Yet, despite these clues, Keating managed to create over 2,000 forgeries ‘in the style of’ more than 100 different artists. Keating and his partner, Jane Kelly, were finally caught in 1977 after 13 strikingly similar Samuel Palmer watercolors raised suspicions. Kelly admitted guilt, but Keating’s trial was interrupted due to his health problems. Afterward, he made several TV appearances and wrote a book about his forgery career before his death in 1984.
4. Yves Chaudron
Yves Chaudron, a French forger, is thought to have created six replicas of the Mona Lisa as part of an elaborate plot to steal the original. The scheme involved stealing the da Vinci masterpiece from the Louvre’s walls and selling the six copies to buyers, each believing they had purchased the stolen original. Meanwhile, the thieves would keep the most famous painting in the world for themselves.
The brilliance of the plan lay in the fact that even if the forgeries were exposed, the buyers would be unable to report the crime. The original painting was stolen in 1911 and remained missing for two years before being discovered at the bottom of a trunk. At the time, La Gioconda was famous, but not yet the global icon it is today. The thief simply removed it from the wall, and the theft wasn't noticed until the following day.
Rumors still circulate that the painting returned to the Louvre was actually one of the six forgeries. No one has ever come forward to admit they bought any of the fake Mona Lisas, and the story behind this audacious art heist remains unproven. Some even claim that Yves Chaudron may never have existed!
3. Wolfgang Beltracchi
Wolfgang Beltracchi is widely regarded as one of the most notorious art forgers of all time, and without a doubt, one of the wealthiest. He forged masterpieces by renowned artists from around the globe, with his counterfeits ending up in some of the most prestigious galleries worldwide. In fact, one of his forgeries was even featured on the cover of a Christie’s auction catalogue—though they had no idea at the time.
A naturally talented artist, Beltracchi spent many years meticulously studying the techniques and styles of the painters whose works he sought to replicate. Rather than simply duplicating an existing piece, he preferred to create original paintings that mirrored what the artist might have painted, leading to new artworks being mistakenly attributed to famous masters. While Beltracchi painted, his wife took on the role of selling the 'family works' and fabricating their provenance.
The couple lived a life of extreme luxury, with multiple homes, expensive cars, and even a yacht. However, their lavish lifestyle came crashing down when Beltracchi created a painting attributed to Campendonk using titanium white, a pigment that was not available at the time the work was supposed to have been painted. The discovery led to their arrest and imprisonment. Since being released, Beltracchi has returned to painting, this time signing his works with his own name.
When asked if he would change anything about his past actions, Beltracchi firmly stated, 'I would never, never use titanium white.'
2. John Myatt
John Myatt started his career by selling 'genuine fakes' for just £150 each. But when a client returned, claiming to have sold one of his works for £25,000 and suggested they team up, a new chapter in Myatt’s career began.
Myatt is believed to have forged over 200 artworks by renowned 19th- and 20th-century painters. In 1999, he and his partner were convicted of conspiracy to defraud, with Myatt sentenced to a year in prison. He served only four months, during which he exchanged pencil sketches for phone cards. After his release, Myatt was convinced his art career was over—until he was commissioned by the arresting officer to paint a family portrait. Soon after, he received more requests, including from prosecuting barristers, leading to a second career as a notorious art faker.
It’s estimated that around 120 Myatt forgeries remain undiscovered. However, the artist refuses to reveal their whereabouts, explaining, 'I can’t see who gains.' If he exposed their locations, the $100,000 paintings on buyers’ walls would be rendered worthless, so everyone seems to have agreed to remain in blissful ignorance.
John Myatt continues to create paintings 'in the style of' famous artists like Monet, van Gogh, and Vermeer, and his works are regularly available for purchase through galleries, though they are now clearly marked as his own creations.
1. Ely Sakhai
Ely Sakhai wasn't an artist himself, but he employed several artists to create forgeries on his behalf. He ran a prestigious art gallery in New York, and it's believed he spent over 20 years making and selling forgeries before being caught.
Sakhai would acquire authentic artworks by famous artists like Renoir and Gauguin through legitimate means at respected auction houses. He then hired artists to replicate these paintings, selling them with the original certificates of authenticity. The scheme unraveled when both Christie’s and Sotheby’s attempted to auction the same Gauguin painting at the same time.
One of the paintings was owned by Sakhai, while the other was owned by a private seller who had purchased it from Ely Sakhai a decade earlier. The timing was particularly unfortunate for Sakhai as both parties decided to sell their respective paintings at the same moment.
Further investigations revealed many more forgeries sold through Sakhai’s gallery, leading to charges of eight counts of wire fraud. It's estimated that he made over $ million from his illicit activities. In 2005, Sakhai pleaded guilty, receiving a -year prison sentence along with a $12.5 million fine. Additionally, he was required to forfeit 11 genuine artworks from which his forgeries were based.
Hardly seems worth it.
