Provenance

How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art

Nonfiction, Art & Architecture, General Art, Art History, History, Modern, 20th Century, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book Provenance by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo, Penguin Publishing Group
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo ISBN: 9781101105009
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group Publication: July 9, 2009
Imprint: Penguin Books Language: English
Author: Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
ISBN: 9781101105009
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication: July 9, 2009
Imprint: Penguin Books
Language: English

A tautly paced investigation of one the 20th century's most audacious art frauds, which generated hundreds of forgeries-many of them still hanging in prominent museums and private collections today

Provenance is the extraordinary narrative of one of the most far-reaching and elaborate deceptions in art history. Investigative reporters Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo brilliantly recount the tale of a great con man and unforgettable villain, John Drewe, and his sometimes unwitting accomplices.

Chief among those was the struggling artist John Myatt, a vulnerable single father who was manipulated by Drewe into becoming a prolific art forger. Once Myatt had painted the pieces, the real fraud began. Drewe managed to infiltrate the archives of the upper echelons of the British art world in order to fake the provenance of Myatt's forged pieces, hoping to irrevocably legitimize the fakes while effectively rewriting art history.

The story stretches from London to Paris to New York, from tony Manhattan art galleries to the esteemed Giacometti and Dubuffet associations, to the archives at the Tate Gallery. This enormous swindle resulted in the introduction of at least two hundred forged paintings, some of them breathtakingly good and most of them selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many of these fakes are still out in the world, considered genuine and hung prominently in private houses, large galleries, and prestigious museums. And the sacred archives, undermined by John Drewe, remain tainted to this day.

Provenance reads like a well-plotted thriller, filled with unforgettable characters and told at a breakneck pace. But this is most certainly not fiction; Provenance is the meticulously researched and captivating account of one of the greatest cons in the history of art forgery.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A tautly paced investigation of one the 20th century's most audacious art frauds, which generated hundreds of forgeries-many of them still hanging in prominent museums and private collections today

Provenance is the extraordinary narrative of one of the most far-reaching and elaborate deceptions in art history. Investigative reporters Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo brilliantly recount the tale of a great con man and unforgettable villain, John Drewe, and his sometimes unwitting accomplices.

Chief among those was the struggling artist John Myatt, a vulnerable single father who was manipulated by Drewe into becoming a prolific art forger. Once Myatt had painted the pieces, the real fraud began. Drewe managed to infiltrate the archives of the upper echelons of the British art world in order to fake the provenance of Myatt's forged pieces, hoping to irrevocably legitimize the fakes while effectively rewriting art history.

The story stretches from London to Paris to New York, from tony Manhattan art galleries to the esteemed Giacometti and Dubuffet associations, to the archives at the Tate Gallery. This enormous swindle resulted in the introduction of at least two hundred forged paintings, some of them breathtakingly good and most of them selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many of these fakes are still out in the world, considered genuine and hung prominently in private houses, large galleries, and prestigious museums. And the sacred archives, undermined by John Drewe, remain tainted to this day.

Provenance reads like a well-plotted thriller, filled with unforgettable characters and told at a breakneck pace. But this is most certainly not fiction; Provenance is the meticulously researched and captivating account of one of the greatest cons in the history of art forgery.

More books from Penguin Publishing Group

Cover of the book Archipelago by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Night Rising by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book The Begonia Bribe by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Leading Men by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Live Without a Net by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Redzone by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Resenting the Hero by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Ecotourists Save the World by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Curves by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book The Wild Ones by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Mrs. Jeffries Plays the Cook by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Goddess of the Sea by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book Lady Katherne's Wild Ride by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
Cover of the book The Smartest Portfolio You'll Ever Own by Laney Salisbury, Aly Sujo
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy