Whether a non-original art work should be called a copy or a forgery is largely
a matter of intent. On any weekday, at the National Gallery of Art, a least one copyist can be seen, with easel
and lab coat, copying one of the paintings on display. The copies are remarkably good. Producing a copy, that is at
least superficially credible, of many works of art is not very difficult. These are
sometimes done as student exercises. Producing a wholly new work in the
style of a successful artist takes a little more research and practice, but
it can be and frequently is done. What will become of all these copies and
exercises a century or two in the future? Will they turn up in the cellar of a junk
shop and be discovered as a previously unknown work of the master? It is more than possible that some of them
will. Forgers
get to work as soon as an artist becomes popular. Thus many forgeries are contemporary with the
work of the person being copied or aped. Age, verified by scientific tests can unmask a fraud, but
they cannot verify authenticity. After science has had its say, the task of certifying a work is left to connoisseurs and
experts. Experts may be defined as those who through study and experience have acquired a thorough knowledge of
a subject, and who are frequently correct in their opinions.
We cannot be sure just how many copies, and fakes are out there undiscovered, and which will probably never be found out. Those resting in major galleries and
collections gain more credibility by the year. Some that were discovered within the just past century
probably never would have been identified if those that produced them had not come
forward to claim credit for their work. Here are just three of the better known
cases.
Art dealer Han van Meegeren, living in comfort and respectably in Amsterdam
after the end of World War II was accused of assisting in the sale of a
Vermeer to Herman Goering. That serious charge would mean a big fine, jail time and perhaps more important to van Meegeren, the world would never know that he had
painted that Vermeer and many others. So van defended himself against
the collaboration charge by claiming credit for the Vermeer in question, and he
proved it to the incredulous court by painting a Vermeer in his jail
cell. If van Meegeren had not revealed the facts himself, who would ever have known? His forgeries had never been seriously
questioned by the art world, and they would still be in galleries and
collections the world over, as Vermeers. Alceo Dossena,
working in Greed
of the profiteer was also the deciding factor in the revelation by Lothar Malskat, who
in 1951
disclosed that he, working for the restorer Dietrich Fey, and created
new
Gothic murals when supposedly working to restore damaged murals in
German
churches. When the fire blackened or
weathered old walls were cleaned, it was found that practically nothing
remained of the murals Malskat was to
restore. So, what was a feller going to do? He just made some perfectly good new
ones. The restorations were hailed by
all involved and Fey got all the credit, and Malskat
got only his little paycheck and a pat on the back.
Malskat revealed
all. If Fey had not been so stingy those
Gothic murals would still be on the church walls, admired and treasured. As it turned out they were destroyed,
because, as any fool could see, they were crude and incompetent efforts
of a
mere restorer’s assistant. When
the truth is out, it becomes apparent to
everyone
that, as they knew all along but didn’t want to cause a fuss, the
spurious
works were of inferior quality and clearly not the work of a master. C’mon, gimmie a
break! The connoisseurs, dealers,
directors, and experts had recognized the now condemned works as works
of
artistic merit because, with their experience and study, they knew
quality when
they saw it. They were right
up to that point. How
did
that artistic merit and quality then vanish?
Well, the experts tell us, one has to possess great wisdom
and superior
understanding in these matters, only the
experts are capable
of really knowing. Reminds
you of the Hans Christian Anderson tale about the little boy who told
everybody
that the king was parading in his birthday suit.
False
Impressions, by Thomas Hoving;
The Art of the Faker, by
Frank Arnau;
The Fabulous
Frauds, by Lawrence Jepperson
Artful Partners, by
Colin Simpson
Fakes, by Otto Kurz,
Dover Publications, LC# 67-28921
The
Genuine Article, by J.F.M. Mills, and J.M. Mansfield, Universe
Books.