Top 10 Audacious Forgeries From History
At its heart, forgery is the misrepresentation of one item for something of higher value. Although many people are impressed by great artwork and other treasures, most laymen probably can’t distinguish a true masterpiece from the latest creation by their neighbor’s little kid without some guidance.
You may have a painting that is worth nothing if it is by your hand, but the same artwork may be valued in the millions of dollars with the right signature brushed in the corner. Nevertheless, even the supposed experts can be fooled by imitations.
Painting may be the most famous type of forgery today, but history is rich with fraudulent works. As we’ll see, the consequences of some of these forgeries were far worse than mistaking the true identity of a painter.