Noah Charney (Stealing the Mystic Lamb) is an art historian with a special interest in art crime. The Art of Forgery collects stories of forgers throughout history, organized into chapters by their various motivations, with beautiful and informative illustrations on almost every page.
The forgers themselves include partnerships and large workshops as well as individual artists. Some of the forgeries are wonderfully convincing, some much less so, but Charney explains the difficulty of authentication in many cases, and also how powerful the desire to believe a forgery can be. Wishful thinking and fear for their own reputations can motivate collectors, dealers and art experts to defend a suspect work. Even when the truth comes out, a forger may be greeted with admiration. Michelangelo began his career with a forged sculpture, and when it was discovered, the buyer became his first patron. Eric Hebborn created and sold hundreds of "old master" drawings, then wrote two popular books about it and was never charged. Lothar Malskat was so outraged when no one would believe his confession, he sued himself for fraud to prove his case.
Charney emphasizes fine painting, drawing and sculpture, but also glances at the falsification of furniture, wines, fossils, historic documents and religious relics. Most cases affected only the art world and wealthy collectors, but a few had serious and even dangerous political and religious effects.
This is a thorough introduction to the subject by an expert--a fascinating book for lovers of art and (mostly) bloodless crime. --Sara Catterall