Provenance : How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art

by Salisbury, Laney (Author); Sujo, Aly (Author)

• ISBN13: 9780143117407
• ISBN10: 0143117408
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-05-25
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)

Summary

The true story of one of the twentieth century's most audacious art frauds Filled with extraordinary characters and told at breakneck speed, Provenancereads like a well-plotted thriller. But this is most certainly not fiction. It is the astonishing narrative of one of the most far-reaching and elaborate cons in the history of art forgery. Stretching from London to Paris to New York, investigative reporters Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo recount the tale of infamous con man and unforgettable villain John Drewe and his accomplice, the affable artist John Myatt. Together they exploited the archives of British art institutions to irrevocably legitimize the hundreds of pieces they forged, many of which are still considered genuine and hang in prominent museums and private collections today.

Author Biography

Aly Sujo, who passed away in October 2008, and Laney Salisbury were a husband-and-wife team of investigative reporters, who, together and individually, covered the arts, entertainment, and foreign news for Reuters and the Associated Press. Salisbury is co-author of The Cruelest Miles. She lives with her daughter in upstate New York.

Table of Contents

Dramatis Personae	p. xiii
Prologue	p. 1
"I Want a Nice Matisse"	p. 7
Canvas Greed	p. 15
Art for Sale	p. 25
Crossing the Line	p. 33
Mibus Wants His Money Back	p. 38
Self-Made Man	p. 45
Wreckers of Civilization	p. 55
At the Easel	p. 64
The Fine Art of Provenance	p. 72
Full Speed Ahead	p. 82
After Giacometti	p. 91
A Sinister Message	p. 100
The Bookworm	p. 107
The Paper Trail	p. 115
Falling Off a Log	p. 122
The Bow Tie	p. 130
Into the Whirlwind	p. 136
Standing Nude	p. 146
The Pond Man	p. 150
Myatt's Blue Period	p. 160
The Chameleon	p. 170
A Loaded Briefcase	p. 178
The Auschwitz Concert	p. 185
Extreme Prudence	p. 194
We're Not Alone	p. 199
A Slow Burn...	p. 203
The Art Squad	p. 211
The Macaroni Caper	p. 218
Nicked	p. 226
Aladdin's Cave	p. 232
The Fox	p. 248
Drewe Descending	p. 262
South	p. 273
The Trial	p. 281
Epilogue	p. 291
Authors' Note	p. 307
Acknowledgments	p. 309
Bibliography	p. 313
Index	p. 317
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