This film documents how wolfgang beltracchi became rich by mimicking the work of notable artists for decades until the authorities closed in. Oct 01, 2011 the obsession with art forgery appears to be a relatively recent phenomenon. Mark landis may be the most famous art counterfeiter who never committed a crime. He does not fit the standard profile of charlatan working for material gain, or embittered artist seeking to punish a world which failed to appreciate him. A notquitegreat documentary about the greatest art forger. Christies and sothebys had sold the forgeries, experts had authenticated them, the met and other museums had exhibited them, major dealers had circulated. Wolfgang beltracchi forger and celebrated art villain. Wolfgang beltracchi, is considered one of the most audacious forgers of recent decades. Beltracchi, together with his wife helene, sold forgeries of alleged works by famous artists, including max ernst. The art of forgery is a case in which a great documentary topic.
May 12, 2015 few people in the art world polarize opinion quite like wolfgang beltracchi. He successfully mimicked the style of many artists to the point that his forgeries were featured in several art books. The art of forgery tells the appealing story of a renowned german art forger who for four decades painted canvases in the style of famous artists that he put on the market, fooling many of the top art experts in the business. Wolfgang beltracchi born wolfgang fischer on 4 february 1951 is a german art forger and artist who has admitted to forging hundreds of paintings in an international art scam netting millions of euros. The art forger was no other than the german national wolfgang beltracchi with the aid of his wife and accomplice helene.
Sep 15, 2015 needless to say, when exposed, beltracchis antics sent shockwaves through the art world, destroying the reputations of numerous experts in the process. The art of forgery, the german forger wolfgang beltracchi who was sentenced in 2011 to six years in. Wolfgang beltracchi is a german art forger and artist who has admitted to forging hundreds of. Oct 10, 2012 the bottom had dropped out of the art market during the gulf war of 199091, and fischer had put his artforgery career on hold. Aug 21, 2015 a notquitegreat documentary about the greatest art forger of our time. Notorious forger wolfgang beltracchi on ethics, the art.
Are art forgers scoundrels, or merely deluded enthusiasts. Watch beltracchi the art of forgery online vimeo on demand on vimeo. Wolfgang beltracchi, emerged in public a few years ago, along with one of the greatest art scandals of all time. He is wolfgang beltracchi, and you may have seen his work, but just dont know it yet.
The minds, motives and methods of master forgers f a general. Beltracchi is an engaging rogue, a warmhearted husband and father, and an impossibly selfconfident artist. Wolfgang beltracchi got away with forging art masterpieces for over 40 years. Interview notorious forger wolfgang beltracchi on ethics, the art. In january 2014, helene and wolfgang beltracchi published two books. Wolfgang beltracchi, the german master forger convicted of creating 14 fake artworks purported to be by the likes of max ernst and. Have multimilliondollar forgery scandals changed the art. Beltracchi the art of forgery subtitled trailer german. Wolfgang beltracchi, dubbed the greatest art forger of our time, once seemed set. Art and law what you need to know about master forger wolfgang beltracchi s latest antics. The technical aspect of art forgery was facinating and was probably the best part of the story for me.
They have published several booksincluding a collection of love letters. Oct 01, 2014 an expert in art history, theory and painting techniques, beltracchi created original works in the style of such masters as max ernst, heinrich campendonk, and max pechstein, to not only fill in. The art of forgery, wolfgang and his wife helene beltracchi chat openly and with great wit and charm about their quixotic adventures in an overheated art world ruled by blind greed, and in which apparently no one has an answer to the question as to what is an original, and what is a forgery. Mar 03, 2014 art and law what you need to know about master forger wolfgang beltracchis latest antics. He singlehandedly made the global art market tremble and leading art experts question their competence. Master forger wolfgang beltracchi says all the experts he scammed for decades hate him because he was too good for them. Mar 06, 2014 a mesmerizing, thoughtprovoking yet surprisingly amusing documentary on the life and times of wolfgang beltracchi, who tricked the international art world for nearly 40 years by forging and selling paintings of early 20thcentury masters.
Art forger wolfgang beltracchis multimillion dollar scam. Mar 04, 2014 he singlehandedly made the global art market tremble and the leading art experts question their competence. The art forger loved this book a well written look inside the art world from the artist perspective. Beltracchi the art of forgery full movie video dailymotion. From these books, here are eight of the shrewdest, strangest, and most imaginative ruses in the history of art. List of books and articles about art forgery online. Forgery, in art, a work of literature, painting, sculpture, or objet dart that purports to be the work of someone other than its true maker. Arts how beltracchi, the worlds most famous art forger, plays with the market. Wolfgang beltracchi, the forger of the century, created chaos in the art market with his fake paintings. Oct 19, 2015 five years ago, the handshake deal in art transactions seemed doomed when two massive forgery scandals sent shivers through the art world. Dec 03, 2014 paintings of convicted german art forger wolfgang beltracchi went on sale at a small bern art gallery this week, even though he remains in jail in cologne. Wolfgang beltracchi in arne birkenstocks documentary beltracchi.
Dec 08, 2015 60 minutes called wolfgang beltracchi a con man of epic proportions and dubbed him and his wife helene, the bonnie and clyde of the art world. Master forger wolfgang beltracchi released from prison. Wolfgang beltracchi, original name wolfgang fischer, born february 4, 1951, hoxter, north rhinewestphalia, germany, german art forger notorious for tricking the international art world into buying highly convincing paintings he created in the style of expressionist, surrealist, and cubist artists such as max ernst, max pechstein, georges braque, heinrich campendonk, johannes molzahn, kees van dongen, and fernand leger. Watch beltracchi the art of forgery online vimeo on demand. They were familiar in the jewish schools and to all the pharisees, long before the time of christ, as they were familiar in all the civilizations of the earth egyptian, babylonian, and persian, greek, and hindu. Beltracchi, in fact, masterminded one of the most audacious and lucrative art frauds in postwar european history. Sure, hes a con man who swindled the art world out of. The minds, motives and methods of master forgers f a general charney, noah on. The art of forgery will be screened twice march 26 and 27, with the director on hand. Beltracchi is an agreeable raconteur, and is much more knowledgeable than a mere armchair art historian, beltracchi. The range of forgeries extends from misrepresentation of a genuine work of art to the outright counterfeiting of a work or style of an artist. The minds, motives and methods of the master forgers explores the stories, dramas and human intrigues surrounding the worlds most famous forgeries investigating the motivations of the artists and criminals who have faked great works of art, and in doing so conned the public and the art establishment alike. To some, the german master forger is a genius, but to others hes the most infamous criminal in art history. In art forgery, the authors aim is not to suggest new methods of detection, but rather to look at the genealogy of faking and to interrogate the anxious, sometimes neurotic, reactions triggered in the modern world of art by these clever frauds.
He is thought to be the mostsuccessful art forger of all time. Wolfgang beltracchi and the case of the telltale titanium dioxide white paint. Would recommend this book to anyone who loves art as. The sentiments attributed to christ are in the old testament. The art of forgery, wolfgang and his wife helene beltracchi chat openly and with great wit and charm about their quixotic adventures in.
A largely residential, fouryear teaching and research university, college located in nacogdoches, texas. Now a film on the robin hood of art is showing in new york. Profit, revenge and the art of forgery the art world is fertile ground for criminals, says art scholar noah charney. Master forger wolfgang beltracchi has the press aflutter with a new documentary, two books, and a slew of new paintings hes offering for sale. A brief history of art forgeryfrom michelangelo to knoedler. They also published two books in german about their exploits and were the subject of a documentary, beltracchi. A largerthanlife personality who was responsible for the biggest art forgery scandal of the postwar era.
Feb 25, 2014 wolfgang beltracchi born wolfgang fischer in 1951 is a german art forger and artist, who has admitted to producing hundreds of fake paintings. Wolfgang beltracchi, the forger of the century, created chaos in the art market with his fake paintings and. Apr 16, 2014 portrait of the artist as a conman paraic obrien correspondent until he was exposed by using an incorrect pigment, wolfgang beltracchi was the worlds most successful art forger. While we cant have accurate data on the extent of global art crime, what we do know is that art theft and forgery is big business and shows no sign of going away read on as we explore the art worlds shady black market, some of historys biggest art heists and most prolific forgers and the efforts being undertaken to combat this perennial problem. Aug 19, 2015 they would be perfect as the leads in a bigscreen depiction of smirking charlatan wolfgang beltracchi and his striking wife, helene, who are the subjects of the documentary beltracchi. The nature of forgery because the provenance of works of art is seldom clear and because their origin is often judged by means of subtle factors, art forgery has always been commonplace. Jailed art forgers works on sale at bern gallery the local.
The art of forgery attempts to make its titular character, convicted art forger wolfgang beltracchi, a kind of folk hero. Notorious forger wolfgang beltracchi on ethics, the art market and how to make a great fake now painting under his own name, beltracchi s works are part of a selling exhibition currently touring. Master forger wolfgang beltracchi has the press aflutter with a new documentary, two books, and a slew. This freespirited german couple made headlines in 2010 after being arrested for pulling off one of the biggest art hoaxes in modern. Offers degrees at bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels. The art of forgery for nearly 40 years the charming and effervescent beltracchi produced hundreds of meticulous works of art, forgeries of early and mid20th century artists, using old canvases and distressed frames scoured from flea markets and paints whose pigments he ground himself. The incredible rise and fall of highflying art scammers. He may be egotistical and nihilistic, but his genius in undeniable. Beltracchi, 63, was sentenced to six years in jail in 2011by a court in germany after admitting to producing hundreds of fake paintings and to selling them with his wife and two accomplices. He was then writing and shooting a selffinanced documentary. German artist wolfgang beltracchi, famed for committing the countrys largest ever art forgery scandal, opened an exhibition of his.
But over time he attracted the attention of fbi and interpol. He has written two books with his wife and worked on documentaries. Artist and master forger wolfgang beltracchi is profiled, with insights into his life, talent and the international art world that made him millions. The art of forgery, the german forger wolfgang beltracchi who was sentenced in 2011 to six years in prison but released this year professes to be able to paint anything. A few year ago the art market was shook up by a farreaching art falsification scandal worth millions, and in turn it wiped away the reputation of international art experts. Forger wolfgang beltracchis latest antics artnet news.