False impressions

the hunt for big-time art fakes

Edición de la obra False impressions

It's time to realize that there are vast numbers of incredibly clever fakes out there, some that are of the super subtle class and need a wholly new, far more questioning and skeptical eye to be detected. Yet despite the cleverness of these fakes, each one possesses at least one silly mistake -- whether some physical property that didn't exist in ancient times or a kind of aging that cannot be natural or amusing errors of style -- mistakes that should have been detected instantly. Most forgers' blunders are so obvious and laughable that I find it a mystery why seasoned art collectors and museum professionals continually gets stung. Accompanying every fake and every fakebuster is a highly entertaining tale. What follows are some of my favorites. - Introduction.