The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century (P.S.)
ISBN:9780060825423 read summary

Some reviewers have given this book less than a five star rating which I think does the volume a mite of injustice. Granted that there is a bit of filler in Dolnick's tale of van Meegeren but I have found those sidelights interesting in themselves and truly informative.

The story of the Vermeer/van Meegereen affair would appeal to art lovers, historians, mystery mavens, and people who enjoy a good practical joke. The most amazing aspect of the whole situation is how buyers and critics simply wanted to believe that although van Meegeren's forgeries didn't even resemble Vermeer's work in the slighest way, they were neverless highly praised as superb creations of the master's art.

Interesting as well are the techniques of art forgery which require lots more than simply duplication.

If you enjoy a good story involving Herman Goering, Hitler, and even Andrew Mellon and, of course, the knave van Meegeren himself then you will love this almost unbelievable tale of a great and historical hoax.

Part of what makes forgery so successful so often is the victim's adamant insistence on being fooled. I'm not one to blame victims who clearly have no defense against the wiles or brute force brought to bear on them. That's not the case here. Instead, Van Meeregen succeeded in palming off his wretched "Vermeers" because the self-designated experts, those closests to the center of the art world's authority, worked so hard in helping him succeed. This book studies the hopes and dreams that latch onto such paltry works, and the egos that that can never back away from any assertion, no matter what evidence arises against it.

Of course, the successful forger puts in a lot of hard work, too. Dolnick describes in some detail how Ven Meeregen acquired authentic materials, developed paint chemistry to resist typical tests, and processed his paintings so they acquired the patina of centuries in just a few days. He describes how Vermeer's unique history (mostly no history at all) makes it possible to create credible additions retroactively. Above all, Dolnick describes the egos, overheated market, national pride, and other irrational elements that combined to create the insanity around Van Meeregen's fakes, that very nearly wished them into authenticity.

Despite Dolnick's newsy straighforwardness, the last few chapters of this book seemed almost to have a laugh track running throughout. In the end Van Meeregen is caught. Then, in an ironic reversal, he becomes desperate to prove himself the forger, against the claims of authenticity by art's most holy of brahmins. Guilt on the charge of forgery could mean years in jail. The alternative, however, was to face a death sentence as a Nazi collaborator. Instead, by working his fakery into Goering's personal trove at a fabulous price, he became something of a folk hero.

That was the common folk, though. The art academicians who had been fooled either had to recant their years of rhapsodic praise and solemn vows of genuineness, or to carry on in their assertions despite the overwhelming body of proof that the paintings could only have been created in recent years. Even after the trial and scientific analysis of the paintings, one still clung to the belief in the paintings' authenticity, claiming Van Meeregen's confession of fakery to be a hoax. Desperate to believe in the 'Vermeers,' he actually said to Van Meeregen, "you will probably fool many people, but you can't fool me."

-- wiredweird

Great read, I'd have to say. Bought because I needed it for a class, and not being a big reader, I didn't realize how much of a good book it is. The seller was awesome. I asked for overnight and that's what I received. Also the book is in great condition, just as was stated on the listing. I fully recommend both this book and the seller.
The Forger's Spell: A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century (P.S.)

Some themes -- What is in "The forger's spell"?

* It's a fascinating story about interesting and entertaining
characters, ones that you can hate and despise, as well as admire
and root for. And, you will find yourself seduced into wanting to
learn what they do and what will happen to them. Han Van Meegeren
may have been a despicable cad, but he was also a entertaining
one and a brilliant as well as a skilled craftsman.

* It's an engaging meditation on value and valuation in art, on who
sets values (in particular, monetary values) and how. You may
become skeptical about the value of expensive works of art, or
you may learn to appreciate them more, but you will certainly be
encouraged to think through your own feelings about them.

* And since it's a story of events and deeds, it encourages you to
become an active participant in the formation of ideas and values
about character and art. In fact, it's difficult *not* to be
drawn into doing so.

* It encourages you to do your own analysis of several works of
art. You get guidance on how to evaluate these works of art, but
that guidance is given almost in the form of an argument that
encourages you to form your own values.

* It's an account of another aspect of Europe in a time of war (WW II):
history from the point of view of the looting of art, where
those artistic treasures went, how (some of them) were found
and recovered.

* And, it's a series of lessons on the craft and technology of the
forgery of painting. What must a forger do in order to succeed
at producing a fake that deceives experts and art viewers? And,
how does he produce that fake?

In summary, "engaging" is the word that suggests the most about
what I find in "The forger's spell". In engages me, and it pushes me
and pulls me and motivates me to think through my own feelings and
ideas and values about art.

The Forger's Spell explains how a man faked a series of Vermeer paintings in the early 20th century and why the world bought into them. One of the fakes was even hailed as the greatest Vermeer of all.

Mr. Dolnick provides a thorough examination of the personalities involved, the physical hurdles that the forger had to overcome to create his fakes, and also explores the psychology that allowed the paintings to be accepted as genuine.

The Forger's Spell is an amazing true story.