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How Con Man And Forger Rewrote The History Of Modern Art

Brandon Cox

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Published in Provenance: How A Con Man And A Forger Rewrote The History Of Modern Art

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In the early 1900s, the art world was rocked by a series of scandals involving forged paintings and stolen sculptures. One of the most notorious cases involved two con men and a forger who managed to fool some of the world's most respected art experts.

Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art

by Laney Salisbury

4.5 out of 5

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The story begins in 1903, when a young man named Joseph Duveen arrived in New York City from England. Duveen was a brilliant salesman and a master of self-promotion. He quickly made a name for himself as a dealer in fine art, and soon he was selling paintings to some of the wealthiest people in the world.

In 1907, Duveen met a man named Otto Kurz. Kurz was a forger who had mastered the art of replicating the work of famous painters. Together, Duveen and Kurz began to produce forged paintings that they sold to unsuspecting collectors.

One of their most famous forgeries was a painting of a woman by the Dutch artist Jan Vermeer. The painting was so convincing that it was sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for $250,000. It remained on display at the museum for several years before it was finally exposed as a fake.

Duveen and Kurz made millions of dollars from their forgeries. They were eventually caught and convicted of fraud, but they served only short prison sentences.

The story of Duveen and Kurz is a fascinating tale of greed, deception, and the power of art. It is a reminder that even the most respected experts can be fooled by a well-executed forgery.

The Forged Paintings

Duveen and Kurz forged paintings by some of the most famous artists in history, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. Their forgeries were so convincing that they were able to sell them to some of the world's most prestigious museums and collectors.

One of their most famous forgeries was a painting of a woman by Leonardo da Vinci. The painting was so convincing that it was sold to the Louvre Museum in Paris for $500,000. It remained on display at the museum for several years before it was finally exposed as a fake.

Duveen and Kurz also forged a painting of a man by Michelangelo. The painting was sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for $250,000. It remained on display at the museum for several years before it was finally exposed as a fake.

Duveen and Kurz made millions of dollars from their forgeries. They were eventually caught and convicted of fraud, but they served only short prison sentences.

The Con Men

Duveen and Kurz were both master con men. They were able to convince some of the world's most respected art experts that their forgeries were genuine. They did this by using a variety of techniques, including:

Using old canvases and frames to make their forgeries look authentic.
Forging signatures and provenance documents.
Bribing art experts to authenticate their forgeries.

Duveen and Kurz were eventually caught and convicted of fraud, but their story is a fascinating tale of greed, deception, and the power of art.

The Legacy

The story of Duveen and Kurz is a reminder that even the most respected experts can be fooled by a well-executed forgery. It is also a reminder that the art world is a place where greed and deception can thrive.

The legacy of Duveen and Kurz is still felt today. Many of their forgeries are still on display in museums and private collections around the world. And their story continues to be told as a cautionary tale about the dangers of believing everything you see.

Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art

by Laney Salisbury

4.5 out of 5