In Provenance, investigative reporters Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo chronicle one of the boldest art forgeries of the 20th century.
The story follows John Myatt, a talented but downtrodden artist of “genuine fakes,” who was connived into a fraud scheme by con man John Drewe. The duo’s deception included spectacular imitations of second-tier artists, as well as an elaborate process of infiltrating the archives of the world’s most prestigious museums.
The authors portray the deceptive glamour and romance of art forgery with the detailed wit and well-paced narrative of a suspense thriller. It may lack the fictional flair of, say, The Thomas Crown Affair, but Provenance‘s gory details are just as enticing.
Though Myatt and Drewe were eventually caught out — an inevitability, considering that Myatt’s allergy to classic oil paint forced him to use an alternative — the carnage they wrought is still largely evident. Of the approximately 200 forgeries sold, more than half remain unaccounted for — unknowingly hung on the walls of museums and private collectors around the world.
News feature/interview: Ex forger John Myatt
Visit Salisbury’s website, read an interview with her, check out Myatt’s own website, watch a video of Myatt’s visit to the Tate Liverpool’s Glenn Brown exhibit, and buy the book.
Comments (4)
Nobody points out that collectors (like all insecure consumers) are like sheep. Far safer to get a Monet than something that looks like a Monet, and admit that they actually enjoy it for the artistic merits. Gotta have the official brand stamp. Still, i bet there are more people out there that can spot a fake louis vuitton wallet (not that it really matters).
Think in following paragraph you probably meant to write Myatt and DREWE
Though Myatt and Sujo were eventually caught out — an inevitability, considering that Myatt’s allergy to classic oil paint forced him to use an alternative — the carnage they wrought is still largely evident. Of the approximately 200 forgeries sold, more than half remain unaccounted for — unknowingly hung on the walls of museums and private collectors around the world.
What was also not mentioned was that a good number of art collectors would not want to know if something they had was fake, and if they did suspect it, a good number would not pass that info along to anyone viewing the art, nor potential buyers, obviously. Otherwise, don't you think that a good number of these forgeries would have already been checked out and revealed by the buyers themselves?
couldn't there now be a market for these now famed fakes? neat : )
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