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The Man Who Made Vermeers: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren
by
Jonathan Lopez (Goodreads Author)
It's a story that made Dutch painter Han van Meegeren famous worldwide when it broke at the end of World War II: A lifetime of disappointment drove him to forge Vermeers, one of which he sold to Hermann Goering in mockery of the Nazis. And it's a story that's been believed ever since. Too bad it isn't true. Jonathan Lopez has drawn on never-before-seen documents from dozen...more
Paperback, 352 pages
Published
July 15th 2009
by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
(first published July 28th 2008)
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A very enjoyable read, and informative about Europe prior to and during WWII (in addition to of course being a comprehensive look at this notorious forger).
this is the best book on the subject i've read so far--and there are many out ii have yet to get to--having read only six or seven of them--
Lopez provides a study not only of van meegeren's vermeers and other fakes, but also the painter's own works, as well as an indepth look at the high class journal of the arts ven Megeeren did in late 20's--which includes his first forays into "fascist art critique" of a comcealed kind--and barely concealed plagiarisms from Hitler's view...more
Lopez provides a study not only of van meegeren's vermeers and other fakes, but also the painter's own works, as well as an indepth look at the high class journal of the arts ven Megeeren did in late 20's--which includes his first forays into "fascist art critique" of a comcealed kind--and barely concealed plagiarisms from Hitler's view...more
"A deliciously detailed story of deceit in the art world," brings us the story of a WWII era forger of Vermeers who was made a Dutch folk hero for hoodwinking Goering into buying one of his forgeries. However, this book reveals the truth of van Meegeren's true political colors.
Yes, we have an ARC at NP.
Reading it now:
Barb
Yes, we have an ARC at NP.
Reading it now:
Barb
It appears that Han van Meergeren was in a sense his own greatest forgery.
In this work, the author deconstructs the legend, and reveals a character on the borderline of sociopathy, albeit socially charming, but far more of a collaborator, Nazi sympathizer and hardened crook than the art world Robin Hood legend represents.
Rather than a loss, this results in a story I found far more fascinating, and far more coherent. What is somewhat puzzling to the contemporary read...more
In this work, the author deconstructs the legend, and reveals a character on the borderline of sociopathy, albeit socially charming, but far more of a collaborator, Nazi sympathizer and hardened crook than the art world Robin Hood legend represents.
Rather than a loss, this results in a story I found far more fascinating, and far more coherent. What is somewhat puzzling to the contemporary read...more
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I'll admit that I'm a sucker for books about art world characters. This time, the protagonist is an art forger and the story is utterly enthralling. I love being projected back to a world where the most sought after thing in the world of old master painting validation was the certificate of an "expert." When these experts were duped, the intrigue becomes even more interesting indeed! A documentary on the same subject is due out later this year. Looking forward to that as well.
Manussawee
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommended to Manussawee by:
Constant Reader
Shelves:
quit,
constant-reader
I made it to about page 148 before calling it quit.
The book is a story of a man named Han van Meegeren who made his living forging art works of dead masters, including Vermeers and Hals. The opportunities for fake arts arose as a side effect of the World War I. As homes were raided and destroyed, art works were also confiscated and sold. So more arts from great artists were "discovered" during 1920s and 1930s where it was easy to paint something similar to what the great...more
The book is a story of a man named Han van Meegeren who made his living forging art works of dead masters, including Vermeers and Hals. The opportunities for fake arts arose as a side effect of the World War I. As homes were raided and destroyed, art works were also confiscated and sold. So more arts from great artists were "discovered" during 1920s and 1930s where it was easy to paint something similar to what the great...more
James Nevius
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommends it for:
history, art history, World War II
I liked just about everything about this book, but what struck me most was Lopez's compelling comparison between Van Meegeren's forgeries and the popular Nazi propaganda art being painted at the same time. Blows Van Meeregen's legend out of the water. Well worth a read.
Another book that I read and had put away in the 'wrong place' (partially due to a minor flooding problem) and wanted to get shelved before I added my all too brief comments.
Further tales of small parts of history that generally the public misses, yet are relevant and intrinsic to wide ranges of topics. From the debased behavior of the art underworld to some famous(and infamous) individuals, there's a new 'truth' here about the devious and deceptive practices surrounding the wo...more
Further tales of small parts of history that generally the public misses, yet are relevant and intrinsic to wide ranges of topics. From the debased behavior of the art underworld to some famous(and infamous) individuals, there's a new 'truth' here about the devious and deceptive practices surrounding the wo...more
This book was a pretty interesting read. I would have given this four stars except that it definitely got slow at points, and often seemed to repeat itself... it probably could have been a little shorter without sacrificing anything.
One of the strengths of this book is that it actually went into quite a bit of detail on exactly how a painting can be forged. It was fabulously interesting. Also offers a lot of information about the economic state of the Netherlands during the occupa...more
One of the strengths of this book is that it actually went into quite a bit of detail on exactly how a painting can be forged. It was fabulously interesting. Also offers a lot of information about the economic state of the Netherlands during the occupa...more
My first book of 2012!
Marvelous, engrossing, fascinating and impressive in its depth and breadth with regard to the subject matter.
Marvelous, engrossing, fascinating and impressive in its depth and breadth with regard to the subject matter.
First: A bit of back story. I have a friend who, every time I go to visit, hands me a book out of his collection. I read it and return it the next time I am around. These books tends to be varied and make for a pretty random assortment. So imagine my confusion when I returned a book on anthropology (a subject I love) and picked up a book on art(I can't even draw a straight line and I hate most art).
As usual however, I should have had more faith. This book is not so much about art, b...more
As usual however, I should have had more faith. This book is not so much about art, b...more
This was an excellent book, well written, intriguing, and interesting in a lot of different ways and not just because of the forgery business. Lopez also covers war time collaboration, why forgeries work (when you look at the forged Vermeers now, it seems impossible that anyone could have taken them for genuine paintings by Vermeer, and yet at the time, the greatest experts were fooled) that has to do with people looking at art to some degree through the filter of their own times, and also the ...more
This book is not one I might normally have read, had it not been brought to my attention by a series of strange coincidences that would would make even Lemony Snicket's jaw drop. But this is a happy story, not a tragic one, so please bear with me.
I came across the names of Joop Piller and Han van Meegeren quite by chance, and later realized there was a book which discussed their case. It looked interesting enough, but as I have so many unread books on my shelves, I thought I'd nev...more
I came across the names of Joop Piller and Han van Meegeren quite by chance, and later realized there was a book which discussed their case. It looked interesting enough, but as I have so many unread books on my shelves, I thought I'd nev...more
Molly
rated it
·
review of another edition
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review of another edition
Recommended to Molly by:
The Author - Jonathan Lopez
Shelves:
non-fiction
OK. So - I knew nothing about Vermeer's art going into this. Other than I had heard of his painting - The Girl With The Pearl Earring. And I only knew about that because of the movie I had caught in passing on TV one day. And even then, I didn't remember that Vermeer was the one to paint it until I began reading this book. Why then would I read this book?
No - not for a homework assignment or a sudden budding interest in art history research. I read it because the author is a me...more
No - not for a homework assignment or a sudden budding interest in art history research. I read it because the author is a me...more
I liked really liked this book. He was well informed on his subject matter. It was presented in an easy to read style, which did not bog down for me.
I was amazed how easy venerated art critics were fooled by this man. I have a book of Vemeer paintings. The ones he was passing as originals were not up to standard. The artist was wise in saying these were painted in the period of twelve years that Vemeer did not paint. Nor did Vemeer paint anything like the subjects in the fake paintings. I...more
I was amazed how easy venerated art critics were fooled by this man. I have a book of Vemeer paintings. The ones he was passing as originals were not up to standard. The artist was wise in saying these were painted in the period of twelve years that Vemeer did not paint. Nor did Vemeer paint anything like the subjects in the fake paintings. I...more
Fascinating account of a Dutch forger of Vermeers who became a folk hero for selling a false Vermeer to Hermann Goering - unfortunately, his collaboration with the Nazis and his long career as a forger were overlooked in favor of turning him into a symbol of Dutch feistiness and resistance after the war.
I didn't give this five stars because there are some careless factual errors in the general historical writing (as opposed to the art history).
I didn't give this five stars because there are some careless factual errors in the general historical writing (as opposed to the art history).
An adventure-story mystery, a work of history, and an exploration of moral issues, this book does a good job of demonstrating that the forger Van Megeren was talented and charming but at the same time a menacing sociopath. The discussion of his flirtation with the Nazis and Nazi art is both fascinating and deeply troubling. And some of the technical information — the use of Bakelite in the forgeries, etc. — is engrossing and presented in a way that makes complex issues very clear. It’s interes...more
The Man Who Made Vermeers is a fascinating, witty story of an unappreciated Dutch artist who turned his talents to forgery. Selling his fake Vermeers to ranking Nazis (Goebbels) during World War II had him labeled as a collaborator. This reads like fiction, and is an education in the world of art forgery. (Tess A. Reader’s Services)
Decently written book about another fascinating forger/confidence artist (as much artist as confidence, in this instance), this one so skeevy that he actually outskeeves some Nazis in the story. Impressive. But then the skeevity of the world of art collection is difficult to overestimate.
Con Man Books, why do I love you so?
Con Man Books, why do I love you so?
I read this book right after I read The Forger's Spell by Dolnick. This book was harder to read but more insightful. The Man Who Made Vermeers was the "real" story as opposed to the more embellished fairy tale by Dolnik that has been handed down over the years. While the first book was more entertaining and read very easily, the Lopez book really dug down and uncovered the truths about Van Meegeren, the forger and his Nazi ties. Very interesting and I am glad that I read both of them ...more
I have never been one who loves art, but this is such a fascinating and well written story of intrigue and deception, that it keeps you interested and gives you a fair education of a section of art in a very pleasing manner at the same time.
A fun, quick read about a really bad guy who made really bad paintings and yet managed to get people to like both him and them. Toss in Vermeer, a lot of criminals, and whole lot of Nazis, and it adds up to a pretty amazing story. The book also contains many great historical photos--too bad these are only in B&W, but they probably only had B&W photography at the time.
Criminal intrigue, high art, and WWII history. What more could you ask for?
Lopez's crazily extensive research and documentation, aided by the 1979 publication by Marijke van den Brandhof, clearly reverses van Meegeren's immediate post-war almost-hero status. The fun of the book, though, comes from his colloquial analysis and judgment of the individuals' personalities. Though the psychology he imposes on them is of course quite speculative, it's well based on each person's actions,...more
Lopez's crazily extensive research and documentation, aided by the 1979 publication by Marijke van den Brandhof, clearly reverses van Meegeren's immediate post-war almost-hero status. The fun of the book, though, comes from his colloquial analysis and judgment of the individuals' personalities. Though the psychology he imposes on them is of course quite speculative, it's well based on each person's actions,...more
An intriguing story, a compelling if not particularly likeable subject, crisp writing, elegant language and an author who explains details and concepts without talking down to his reader all made this a wonderful reading experience.
I was hoping for a character study of the world's most famous forger, Han Van Meegeren. There was a bit of that, but more detective work tracing the conspiracy that got some incredible "Vermeers" into the hands of the Nazis. I feel like the author did too much research.
A distinguished study of appearances and reality, good and evil, art and politics. Impressively researched. Written with humor, precision and depth. An interesting work both philosophically and historically. Occasionally goes on at greater length regarding minor figures than is warranted/desirable, but on the whole an excellent and unusual book.
Absolutely fascinating. I've heard the van Meegeren story plenty of times, but the organization of this account, accompanied by what seems to be solid art historical research is impressive.
Fascinating account of a master forger, Nazi collaborator, and all around evil man. Yet, he captivated people with his charm and wit and was a folk hero for many years.
The story of a forger who made remarkably unconvincing "Van Gogh" paintings and sold them for megabucks (megamarks?) to Hitler and his friends.
Very fascinating. I wish I could be an art forger and sell fake works of art that do not compare to the original to dumb Nazis.
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Edgar Award Nominee | 1 | 8 | Jan 16, 2009 10:57am | |
| Recent press | 1 | 10 | Aug 14, 2008 08:07am |
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Jonathan Lopez is editor-at-large of Art and Antiques, a correspondent for the The Boston Globe's Sunday book review, and a contributing writer for the entertainment desk of the Associated Press. He also writes for the Books & Ideas section of The Wall Street Journal. His book, The Man Who Made Vermeers (Houghton Mifflin-Harcourt, 2008), is a biography of the Dutch art forger Han van Meegeren, bas...more
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