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

As riveting as a World War II thriller, The Forger's Spell is the true story of three men and an extraordinary deception: the revered artist Johannes Vermeer; the small-time Dutch painter who dared to impersonate him years later; and the con man's mark, Hermann Goering, the fanatical art collector and one of Nazi Germany's most reviled leaders. The Barnes & Noble Review For all its psychological twists and historical turns, this nonfictional thriller poses a simple question: How could a painting that one day is worth millions of dollars, the next day be worth almost nothing? The easy answer: the painting is revealed to be a forgery. Of course, in this complex case, layers of deception and intrigue underlie what appeared to be a straightforward scam, one of the most notorious hoaxes in the history of art. In the early 20th century, Han van Meegeren, a mediocre Dutch painter, succeeded in convincing an astonishing group of connoisseurs and buyers that a roomful of his forgeries were in fact undiscovered Vermeers. Edward Dolnick, who previously wrote about the heist of Munch s Scream in The Rescue Artist, here explores the full dimensions of this amazing tale by delving into all sorts of byways: the limits of connoisseurship, the craft of forgery, the mystique of Vermeer, and the Nazi plundering of European art. It s a narrative balancing act that Dolnick handles with great skill and insight. As Riveting As A World War Ii Thriller, The Forger's Spell Is The True Story Of Johannes Vermeer And The Small-time Dutch Painter, Han Van Meegeren, Who Dared To Impersonate Vermeer Centuries Later. The Con Man's Mark Was Hermann Goering, One Of The Most Reviled Leaders Of Nazi Germany And A Fanatic Collector Of Art. Occupied Holland. A Knock On The Door -- Looted Art -- The Outbreak Of War -- Quasimodo -- The End Of Forgery? -- Forgery 101 -- The War Against The Jews -- The Forger's Challenge -- Bargaining With Vultures -- Van Meegeren's Tears -- Hermann Goering And Johannes Vermeer. Adolf Hitler -- Chasing Vermeer -- Goering's Art Collection -- Insights From A Forger -- The Amiable Psychopath -- Goering's Prize -- Vermeer, Superstar -- A Ghost's Fingerprints -- The Selling Of Christ At Emmaus. Two Forged Vermeers -- The Expert's Eye -- A Forger's Lesson -- Bredius -- Without Any Doubt! -- The Uncanny Valley -- Betting The Farm -- Lady And Gentleman At The Harpsichord -- Dick Hannema -- The Choice -- The Caravaggio Connection -- In The Forger's Studio -- Underground Tremors -- The Summer Of 1937 -- The Lamb At The Bank -- Every Inch A Vermeer -- Two Weeks And Counting -- Too Late! -- The Last Hurdle -- The Unveiling -- Anatomy Of A Hoax. Scandal In The Archives -- All In The Timing -- Believing Is Seeing -- The Men Who Knew Too Much -- Blue Monday -- He Who Hesitates -- The Great Changeover -- The Chase. The Secret In The Salt Mine -- The Dentist's Tale -- Goering On The Run -- The Nest Egg -- Trapped! -- I Painted It Myself! -- Command Performance -- The Evidence Piles Up -- The Trial -- The Players Make Their Exits. Edward Dolnick. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [325]-330) And Index. As riveting as a World War II thriller, The Forger's Spell is the true story of Johannes Vermeer and the small-time Dutch painter who dared to impersonate him centuries later. The con man's mark was Hermann Goering, one of the most reviled leaders of Nazi Germany and a fanatic collector of art.It was an almost perfect crime. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of one of the most beloved and admired artists who ever lived. But, as Edward Dolnick reveals, the reason for the forger's success was not his artistic skill. Van Meegeren was a mediocre artist. His true genius lay in psychological manipulation, and he came within inches of fooling both the Nazis and the world. Instead, he landed in an Amsterdam court on trial for his life.ARTnews called Dolnick's previous book, the Edgar Award-winning The Rescue Artist, "the best book ever written on art crime." In The Forger's Spell, the stage is bigger, the stakes are higher, and the villains are blacker. New York Times Bestseller “Dolnick brilliantly re-creates the circumstances that made possible one of the most audacious frauds of the 20th century. And in doing so Dolnick plumbs the nature of fraud itself . . . an incomparable page turner.” —Boston Globe As riveting as a World War II thriller, The Forger’s Spell is the true story of Johannes Vermeer and the small-time Dutch painter who dared to impersonate him centuries later. For seven years a no-account painter named Han van Meegeren managed to pass off his paintings as those of one of the most beloved and admired artists who ever lived. As Edward Dolnick reveals, his true genius lay in psychological manipulation, and he came within inches of fooling the world. Instead, he landed in an Amsterdam court on trial for his life. The Forger’s Spell is the gripping, true tale of this almost perfect crime. Describes how a small-time Dutch painter conned a reviled Nazi leader by creating works that impersonated those of Jan Vermeer, a seven-year deception during which the forger hid his mediocre abilities through psychologically manipulative practices.