The Forger's Spell
A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century
Book - 2009
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.
Publisher:
New York : Harper, 2009, c2008.
ISBN:
9780060825423
9780060825416
0060825413
9780060825416
0060825413
Branch Call Number:
759.9492 DOLNICK
Characteristics:
xii, 349 pages, [16] pages of plates ; illustrations (some color) ; 24 cm.



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Add a CommentThe other spell is how Edward Dolnick draws you into his book. I had trouble putting it down. Good story, well written. The intermixing of WWII, art forgery methodology and the story of Van Meegeren made for an engrossing read. My friend was reading The Monuments Men at the same time and we had a lot to talk about.
An illuminating look at how a Dutch forger, Han van Meegeren, fooled critics and collectors in the 1930s and sold one of his "Vermeers" to Hermann Goering. Includes lots of details about the mechanics of creating and selling forgeries, though less about van Meegeren himself.
Interesting historical work that puts a different dimension on the invasion by the Nazis of the various European countries. Interesting to see the role of art in the war!
If you are looking for something different, something interesting, and something that will be a knowledge boost (while being fun to read), this is your book! This book was very well written and I promise you'll never look at a painting the same way. Hey, I didn't know a Vermeer from a Van Gogh and I really really enjoyed this book. It gets a solid A. I hightly recommend this one.