The Art of Forgery

Guest: Noah Charney, author, art historian found of ARCA – the Association for Research into Crimes against Art  Art Forgery is Top of Mind this hour. It’s among the most romanticized of crimes and often considered victimless, unless you’re inclined to feel bad for the uber-rich or the supremely-snobbish folks suckered by an imposter’s canvas. Forgery is a crime, though – and a difficult one to prosecute, according to Noah Chaney’s new book “The Art of Forgery.”  Among the most surprising revelations in his book about the greatest art forgers of all time is his suggestion that rarely is the forgery motivated by money. Rather, the most successful forgers are out to prove their artistic genius or to exact revenge on the art houses that fail to see that genius. In some incredible cases, the forger does it all for fame – even leaving clues in the forged work, hoping to be discovered.