Op bezoek bij... Wolfgang Beltracchi

Een bezoek gepland voor de maand Mei, verheug me erop om hem te spreken,  we spreken af in Tjechia " Municipal House Praque, Czechia" waar hij een event geeft. Helene(l) is van de partij. Verblijft in Zwitserland en daar heeft hij een reden voor!

© Alberto Venzago

Wolfgang Beltracchi is a notorious German art forger who gained international fame for his sophisticated forgeries of works by famous 20th-century artists. Born Wolfgang Fischer in 1951 in Höxter, Germany, he became one of the most prolific art forgers in history, fooling experts, auction houses, and collectors for decades.

Key Details About Beltracchi’s Forgeries:

• Method: He didn’t simply copy existing works but created new paintings in the style of renowned artists like Max Ernst, Heinrich Campendonk, Fernand Léger, and Kees van Dongen.

• Materials & Techniques: Beltracchi used historical canvases, old pigments, and even aged frames to make his fakes appear authentic. He sometimes added fake provenance, including fabricated photos of his works in historical settings.

• Scale of Fraud: Along with his wife, Helene Beltracchi, and other accomplices, he sold over 50 forged paintings, earning an estimated $45 million before being caught.

• Exposure: A scientific analysis in 2008 revealed that a supposed Campendonk painting contained a modern white pigment (titanium white), which was not available when the original artist was active. This led to Beltracchi’s arrest.

• Trial & Sentence: In 2011, he was convicted of forgery and fraud, receiving a 6-year prison sentence (of which he served about 3 years). His wife received a 4-year sentence.

After Prison:

Beltracchi now works as a legitimate artist, selling his own original works—sometimes playfully referencing his past as a forger. His story has been the subject of documentaries, books, and exhibitions, turning him into a controversial celebrity in the art world.