"Beltracchi" - the Art of Forgery

[freedombecki]

Maybe he will use his notoriety to become a master painter. Oh, wait. He is a master painter. He just has a strudel in his noodle for not noticing.

As I wrote, when the one art historian asked him why not just paint his own stuff, he shrugged his shoulders and looked bored. Guess that means that "normal" painting didn't give him the kick he needed.

I don't believe that is it, Stat. He has marvelous talent but no imagination. In other words, he can forge the artistic talent of other artists but he doesn't have the imagination to create his own work because he lacks the freedom in his own spirit to create. I have 4 friends who are inventors. All of them demonstrate immense freedom in their personalities. That is the common denominator. They know how to let their imagination soar. They are free to create.

So this guy made a career out of deceiving people but what he didn't count on was it only takes one time he makes a mistake and there is ALWAYS that one time. This was his. He didn't get away with anything. They are going to trace back every sale connected to his name and get the matter settled in due time.

I cannot rejoice in his deception because the outcome is always the same. Someone is harmed, the person who harmed others shows no sign of remorse and the world is in awe of him because he knew how to copy someone elses work but lacked the vision to create anything noteworthy of his own. He's a loser.

- Jeremiah

You're right, Jeremiah. A lot of my words here have been tongue-in-cheek and not in the least serious. People were hurt. That's bad.

 

[Statistikhengst]

Maybe he will use his notoriety to become a master painter. Oh, wait. He is a master painter. He just has a strudel in his noodle for not noticing.

As I wrote, when the one art historian asked him why not just paint his own stuff, he shrugged his shoulders and looked bored. Guess that means that "normal" painting didn't give him the kick he needed.

I don't believe that is it, Stat. He has marvelous talent but no imagination. In other words, he can forge the artistic talent of other artists but he doesn't have the imagination to create his own work because he lacks the freedom in his own spirit to create. I have 4 friends who are inventors. All of them demonstrate immense freedom in their personalities. That is the common denominator. They know how to let their imagination soar. They are free to create.

So this guy made a career out of deceiving people but what he didn't count on was it only takes one time he makes a mistake and there is ALWAYS that one time. This was his. He didn't get away with anything. They are going to trace back every sale connected to his name and get the matter settled in due time.

I cannot rejoice in his deception because the outcome is always the same. Someone is harmed, the person who harmed others shows no sign of remorse and the world is in awe of him because he knew how to copy someone elses work but lacked the vision to create anything noteworthy of his own. He's a loser.

- Jeremiah

Did I ever even once say I rejoice in the deception?

Answer: no.

 

[pacer]

I don't believe that is it, Stat. He has marvelous talent but no imagination. In other words, he can forge the artistic talent of other artists but he doesn't have the imagination to create his own work because he lacks the freedom in his own spirit to create.

What makes Beltracchi such an unusual forger is he did not copy existing paintings of great artists but created new work which 'he imagined the artist might have painted or which might have gotten lost.' Watch the first 3 minutes of the following segment of 60 minutes. He was a very talented, imaginative, and creative man.

Art forger Wolfgang Beltracchi's multimillion dollar scam - CBS News

 

[pacer]

What did him in was a tube of Titanium White paint that he bought at a flea market. He did not realize that someone in the 1960s refilled that very old tube with newer stuff, which then showed up under analysis and the painting was then confirmed as a fake. That's what got the snowball rolling.

To think he might have been able to continue with the forgeries had it not been for this one slip-up.

I was thinking along the same lines as Beltracchi. In the 60 minutes segment, when asked if he thought he did anything wrong, he said "Yes, I used the wrong titanium white." Seriously speaking though, I'm glad he is out of prison and doing what he does best...CREATE.

 

[Statistikhengst]

What did him in was a tube of Titanium White paint that he bought at a flea market. He did not realize that someone in the 1960s refilled that very old tube with newer stuff, which then showed up under analysis and the painting was then confirmed as a fake. That's what got the snowball rolling.

To think he might have been able to continue with the forgeries had it not been for this one slip-up.

I was thinking along the same lines as Beltracchi. In the 60 minutes segment, when asked if he thought he did anything wrong, he said "Yes, I used the wrong titanium white." Seriously speaking though, I'm glad he is out of prison and doing what he does best...CREATE.

That's also not quite right. He IS in prison, just gets day leave to work in his Atelier, doing work for the police now. Ditto for his wife. In the evening, the two get in their respective cars and drive back to their respective prisons, which are just one exit away from each other on the freeway.

 

[pacer]

To think he might have been able to continue with the forgeries had it not been for this one slip-up.

I was thinking along the same lines as Beltracchi. In the 60 minutes segment, when asked if he thought he did anything wrong, he said "Yes, I used the wrong titanium white." Seriously speaking though, I'm glad he is out of prison and doing what he does best...CREATE.

That's also not quite right. He IS in prison, just gets day leave to work in his Atelier, doing work for the police now. Ditto for his wife. In the evening, the two get in their respective cars and drive back to their respective prisons, which are just one exit away from each other on the freeway.

OOPS! Thank you for the correction.

 

[pacer]

The following Wiki article states Helene Beltracchi was released from prison February 2013.

Wolfgang Beltracchi - Ask.com Encyclopedia

 

[Statistikhengst]

The following Wiki article states Helene Beltracchi was released from prison February 2013.

Wolfgang Beltracchi - Ask.com Encyclopedia

Yes, but not Wolfgang, he is still serving and will serve all 6 years and then some...

Wolfgang and Helene Beltracchi are allowed to serve their sentences in an open prison, as long as they have regular jobs. They have been employed by a friend's photostudio, leaving prison in the morning and returning after work.[3] While serving his sentence, Wolfgang Beltracchi in collaboration with a photographer has produced a number of mixed-media works, paintings embedding photographs of himself.[24] The collaboration ended September 2012.[25] Helene Beltracchi was released from prison February 2013.[26]

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I tried to pass myself off as Jimmy Page, I didn't get very far

 

[Statistikhengst]

I tried to pass myself off as Jimmy Page, I didn't get very far

Was it the guitar or the hair that did you in??

 

[CrusaderFrank]

I tried to pass myself off as Jimmy Page, I didn't get very far

Was it the guitar or the hair that did you in??

Both. I play a stratocaster

Sent from smartphone using my wits and Taptalk

 

[Statistikhengst]

I tried to pass myself off as Jimmy Page, I didn't get very far

Was it the guitar or the hair that did you in??

Both. I play a stratocaster

Sent from smartphone using my wits and Taptalk

Did you get the hair the right color??