FAQ About Art History

Han van Meegeren's Vermeers:

• Han van Meegeren was a Dutch artist and forger who gained fame in the 20th century for creating and selling fake works attributed to Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer. His forgeries were so convincing that they deceived art experts and collectors. The most famous forgery was "Christ at Emmaus," which was hailed as a masterpiece until van Meegeren confessed to the forgery in 1945.

Elmyr de Hory's Impressionist Paintings:

• Elmyr de Hory was a Hungarian-born art forger known for creating fake works in the style of famous Impressionist and Modernist painters, including Henri Matisse and Amedeo Modigliani. His forgeries were sold to collectors and museums worldwide. His life and forgeries inspired the documentary "F for Fake" by Orson Welles.

Wolfgang Beltracchi's Post-War Art Forgeries:

• Wolfgang Beltracchi, along with his wife Helene, orchestrated one of the most extensive art forgery schemes in recent history. They created and sold numerous fake paintings by renowned artists such as Max Ernst, Fernand Léger, and Heinrich Campendonk. Their forgeries were so convincing that they fooled experts for years until their arrest in 2010.

Etruscan Terracotta Warriors:

• In the 1960s, Italian forgers created a series of Etruscan terracotta warrior statues, which they claimed were ancient artifacts. These forgeries fooled experts and were acquired by museums and collectors. They were eventually exposed as fakes, raising questions about the authenticity of other Etruscan artifacts.

Beltracchi's Fake Max Ernst:

• Wolfgang Beltracchi was responsible for creating a fake Max Ernst painting titled "The Forest." He sold it for millions of dollars, and it was authenticated by experts. However, suspicions were raised, and forensic analysis revealed that the canvas used in the painting had not been produced until several years after Ernst's death.

The Russian Avant-Garde Forgeries:

• Forgeries of Russian Avant-Garde art, including works by Kazimir Malevich and Wassily Kandinsky, have been a persistent problem in the art market. Some forgeries have been so convincing that they have been exhibited in prestigious museums before being exposed.

Arturo Di Modica's Charging Bull Replica:

• In 2017, a bronze replica of Arturo Di Modica's famous "Charging Bull" sculpture appeared in New York's financial district. Di Modica accused the city of permitting the installation without his permission and claimed it was a forgery. The replica was eventually removed.