The Many Faces of Art Forgery: From the Dark Side to Shades of Gray

Forgery is a provocative presence in the art world that captures attention in the press and inspires books about the exploits of famous fraudsters as well as scholarly articles and monographs. But missing until now has been a big-picture look at the phenomenon of art forgery. The Many Faces of Art Forgery provides a unique treatment that features historical highlights, philosophical insights, psychological profiles, economic theories, and legal statutes and cases.

Key features include:

• The story of art forgery from antiquity to the present, including 80 named forgers, the tricks of their trade, and the social forces that ensure the existence of their enterprise.
• How scientific analysis is both effective and limited in exposing art fakes.
• Multiple definitions for the term “forgery” as applied to art.
• The effect on authenticity in legal terms, philosophical terms, and public opinion when an artwork undergoes extensive restoration, or artists hire surrogates to make their works, or they appropriate images from other artists or styles from indigenous cultures.
• Forgers’ mentalities: their motivations, rationalizations, and strategies.
• The ethics of art forgery: from criminality to esteem for fooling experts.
• The possibility and aesthetic worth of a “perfect fake.”

In all, readers will understand the substantial place forgery occupies in the realm of art, as well as that what constitutes authentic versus inauthentic is not always clear-cut, nor are legal and moral judgments about forgery. In conveying this message, the author provides a wealth of information in an accessible and engaging style suitable for experts and general readers alike.