The easy cliche about the art world is the long-standing “art is in the eye of the beholder,” which explains the lure of Thomas Kinkade at shopping malls across the U.S., especially amongst the holy rolling set.

But what about the subject of forgery and its relationship to the art world? Throughout its history, the art world has had to deal with the subject of forgery, as even the earliest works in museums from ancient Rome were subject to copies. Some old masters have more forgeries attributed to them than originals. Indeed, some experts place the incidence of fraud at 40 percent when discussing major works of art offered for sale. [page 1]

Frank Wynne proposes that “forgery can lay claim to being the second-oldest profession” [page 3], which is a cheeky and appropriate teaser to contemplate as his book I Was Vermeer: The Rise and Fall of the Twentieth Century’s Greatest Forger (2006, Bloomsbury USA, 288 pages) concerns the Dutch forger Han van Meegeren, who operated out of Amsterdam in the 1930s-1940s.

Wynne does not so much as expose his subject as he writes his story; he more or less illuminates van Meegeren from the shadows. Much of van Meegeren’s side of the tale could be embellished; the truthfulness of some points in the book could be questionable.

But what is known about van Meegeren’s life and works is quite extraordinary from the perspective of the subjects of his forgeries and his audacity in finding and delivering them to unsuspecting buyers, including Hermann Goring, a sale that led to van Meegeren’s undoing in most dramatic fashion. Van Meegeren’s trial was quite the sensation at the time (1947) and one that opened a doorway to the art world that some parties would probably want to keep shut permanently.

Van Meegeren specialized in forgeries of old masters and his special talents drew him to the works of Vermeer (Johannes Vermeer of Delft). As such, van Meegeren’s works added to the Vermeer catalog and made him a wealthy man. It is estimated van Meegeren made upwards of 100 million (in today’s dollars) from his forgeries. At one time Vermeer had 66 works attributed to him; now there are only 35. Han van Meegeren’s Vermeers contributed to the catalog and also cast a shadow over it.

One of the more interesting aspects of Wynne’s book is his discussion of the art world and the nexus between dealers, artists and critics.

One might be forgiven for thinking that the single defining gift to the expert is hubris.

The extent to which the art world still relies on the opinion of the expert in matters of attribution is in inverse proportion to the results: not only have experts failed to recognize some of the most preposterously crude forgeries, they have regularly dismissed genuine masterpieces with supercilious ease only to have their opinions reversed by equally confident experts. Many paintings have crossed this chasm from genuine to forgery more than once. [page 148]

Han van Meegeren was most successful because of his ability to work within the system of gallery owner and critic, critic and expert. He was a fluid personality; capable of great storytelling and charisma; his honesty in some areas a weapon for lies in others. He was alternatively a rogue and a gentleman. He had great loves in his life, but was a constant adulterer. He seemingly hated his father and his religious upbringing, yet longed for acceptance and respect. He was fatally thin skinned yet a vicious critic of other artists. He was an alcoholic and drug user. He used people for his own devices yet desired their company and respect as an artist in his own right. He was, indeed, somewhat irredeemable, but very human.

I Was Vermeer is an interesting story. Wynne writes an engaging and well documented look at the quirky world of art collection and the kinds of deceit and self invention that one can encounter there. Yet, there seemingly is more to the tale to be uncovered. Han van Meergeren remains a bit of an enigma at the end; the question about whether or not there are more forgeries out there remains an open one. I Was Vermeer sheds a little light on the dark shadows of the art world and should appeal to those most interested in that subject. Flashlights not included ( three stars).

Sources
http://www.bloomsburyusa.com/Authors/default.asp?id=1219&cf=0; http://books.guardian.co.uk/reviews/biography/0,,1833137,00.html;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Kinkade; http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/paintings-light-ii.php
[There have been no known cases of Kinkade forgeries flooding the market. However, his business practices have been questioned in the past.]

Recommended: Yes