FAKES, FORGERIES AND BEING FRAMED

Art is everywhere.

"I've Been Framed," is a tour based on a book called The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio, a riveting tale about the painting: The Taking of Christ. 

And then there's us. A group of interested and curiosity seekers who are all fired up about seeking the little known facts about being framed.  So we're going to hear about frauds and fakes that museums purchase. That is a story unto itself.

In fact, the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, had a marvelous show about the fakes and forgeries that they had purchased. It's not that they are the only museum that has done so, but they used that as a promotional piece to lure people to the place in a cold February when attendance is usually low. Docents took us around and explained the tomfoolery.  Some excellent con men swindled museums about of hundreds of thousands of dollars.  We then get to hear about the deception and how the thief was apprehended. 

Actually anyone involved in painting is faced with authenticity as paintings have risen to dizzying heights.

One of the major problems we face is art on the black market.  Please be aware that aspect of my tours blend together. I say this not to sell continual tours, but the Pawnbroker tour combines certain aspects of how thieves work, whether it is stealing jewelry or artworks.  The goal is always the same, MONEY.

It's more and more difficult to pass off fakes and forgeries, but to hear how museums have been duped is truly fascinating.