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.

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.

Content: Occupied Holland. A knock on the door Looted art The outbreak of war Quasimodo The end of forgery? Forgery 101 Occupied Holland The war against the Jews The forger's challenge Bargaining with vultures Van Meegeren's tears -- Hermann Goering and Johannes Vermeer. Hermann Goering Adolf Hitler Chasing Vermeer Goering's art collection Insights from a forger The amiable psychopath Goering's prize Vermeer Johannes Vermeer, superstar A ghost's fingerprints -- The selling of Christ at Emmaus. Two forged Vermeers The expert's eye A forger's lessons Bredius "Without any doubt" The uncanny valley Betting the farm Lady and Gentleman at the Harpsichord Dirk Hannema The choice The Caravaggio connection In the forger's studio Christ at Emmaus 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 Goeringing on the run The nest egg Trapped! "I painted it myself!" Command performance The evidence piles up The trial The players make their exits. 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