Have you ever heard of Mark Landis.
There was a movie put out on him, I think by PBS around 2014.
This guy copied many rare paintings, and donated them to museums, as originals, for free. He did this for about 30 years before they caught up with him.
He is a brilliant artist and his forgeries fooled many of the best investigators. His forgeries were primarily in museums all over the US.
He was never prosecuted because he never sold any of his works. He would just donate them to the museums and after the appraisers classified them as originals they hung them for display.
Wow, will check it out. Last thing I watched with anything about art forgery, some months ago, was the old film “How to Steal a Million,” with Audrey Hepburn and Peter O’Toole. In the film, her character’s father was an art forger. Not the same thing, I know, but amusing. And you get to see Paris ca. 1966 while you’re at it.
since we are talking about movies & the visual arts, my all time favorite film about creative practice and i think the best film ever made about making art is ‘the five obstructions.’ this move changed my entire practice when i saw it, and it is something i use in many of my art & design classes as an educator. highly recommended:
