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

"Provenance" is the account of one of the greatest cons in the history of art. About 240 forged paintings were produced, many selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars, and netting overall about 2 million pounds over nine years. Many are still considered genuine and hang in prominent places. The authors reveal that museums not only display art, but also assemble and maintain a chain of ownership for the works of the authors they display; funding this effort, however, is difficult and became key to the fraud detailed in the book.

The action begins with a museum reception for Dr. John Drewe, professor of nuclear physics and art connoisseur, who has just donated two 'valuable decades-old' paintings to the museum. Dr. Drewe is accompanied by his 'research assistant' John Myatt, who is shocked to realize that he had just finished painting the valuable donated paintings. Myatt strongly protests to Drewe that the subterfuge will certainly be discovered by the museum's curators, and gets Drewe to withdraw the donation on the grounds that he'd just learned of potential problems with their documentation. Dr. Drewe instead substitutes a $20,000 donation, with promises of another $500,000 later for the museum's provenance work. The point of Dr. Drewe's generosity was to gain access to the museum's records.

Dr. Drewe and Myatt had met four years prior when Drewe responded to Myatt's ad for reproductions. Myatt had just been abandoned by his wife, along with with two babies in diapers, and was short of money. Dr. Drewe commissioned a copy, and their relationship grew over time. Meanwhile, world art prices began soaring. Myatt, in turn, switched from making copies to creating original paintings in the style of the more valued artists he was mimicking; doing so, he carefully researched the style and peculiarities of the artists he was emulating. At first he was unaware that Drewe was selling his reproductions and creations as authentic.

Buyers became increasingly demanding of proof of authenticity as prices increased. Fortunately for the con artists, Drewe was now well-positioned to comply - both creating fake entries within the museum records (loose-leaf binders were used) for Myatt's heretofore non-existent paintings, and also using the records to compile credible-looking receipts and other records - again, from both real and invented collectors. Dr. Drewe used computers, old typewriters, and a scanner to revise old photographic records. (Museum security focused on people taking things out; it was especially lax regarding donors.)

Dr. Drewe's cons, however, are not limited to art - he also attempts to con his common-law wife (Batsheva Goudsmit) out of her real estate holdings, has her declared insane (she loses her job as a pediatric eye specialist), and takes custody of the two children. Myatt, on the other hand, eventually concluded that Dr. Drewe was insane (outlandish stories, dealing with guns) and cheating him, and Myatt then refuses to have anything more to do with Drewe.

In the middle of all this a strange fire and death occurs at an apartment owned by Drewe's common-law wife. Investigators meet with Batsheva and she tells them the dead person was probably blackmailing Dr. Drewe - 'something to do with art forgeries,' and later gives investigators Drewe's briefcase, loaded with strange receipts, clippings, art books, etc. Eventually Dr. Drewe is arrested for art fraud and exposed as never having gone past high school. Between Drewe's faking illnesses and fleeing, it took 18 months before he was brought to trial. The trial took another 6 months, he was found guilty in 5 hours, and sentenced to 6 years. Myatt received a one year sentence, served 4 months, and resolved to never paint again. His arresting officer, however, persuaded Myatt that 'he had a gift' and commissioned him to create a painting of the officer's family. Myatt returned to painting, and has done well since - making explicitly clear that his works are not authentic.

My main complaint about "Provenance" is that the suspicious fire and death issues were never resolved - the topic is just left hanging. I'm also at a loss to understand how 'Dr. Drewe' sustained himself prior to meeting Myatt (the book and other sources say that almost no records exist - still, his Batsheva and Drewe's parents provide potential sources), and why his financial situation deteriorated prior to being arrested.

I picked this book up because I enjoy reading non-fiction and know little about the art world-- and my knowledge of "provenance" is limited to the explanations given on antiques roadshow. After reading the editorial review on how well researched the book is, I expected this to be a weighty, but rewarding read. But after the first few pages I was surprised how hooked I was-- the story is utterly compelling, a real page turner. I love how the authors described the characters, not only through the documents they consulted and interviews they conducted, but also through a fascinating pyschological analysis on what may have driven their behavior. The book also provided a glimpse of how galleries, dealers, collectors and museums really operate-- I was surprised at the behavior of the "experts" in the art world-- all of which was detailed in a matter fact manner that led the reader to draw their own conclusion. I started this book on Saturday, read it straight through Sat night and finished Sunday because I just had to know what happened next, it's that kind of book.

You'll notice that every review up until this one has given this book 5 stars. Who am I to argue? These consistent 5 star reviews should tell you all you need to know. Fiction and non-fiction lovers alike will enjoy this compelling true story of what Scotland Yard called the biggest art swindle of the 20th century.

You'll meet John Drewe, a con man with apparently amazing charisma and charm. Drewe, like any professional con man, fabricated his resume quite a bit. Drewe decides that there is a lot of money to be made in selling fake fine art. Drewe has the personal skills and the resume to develop an impressive museum network. All he needed was someone to paint the fakes. Enter John Myatt, a down on his luck artist, desperate for money and an outlet for his artistic skills. Myatt's vulnerability presented fertile ground for Drewe. Drewe slowly and masterfully draws him in, until Myatt is in too deep to quit.

The real magic of this book is how authors Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo were able to vividly capture the personalities of the players in this scam, and not just the con men. You will be amazed at Drewe, and his ability to hustle major museums like the Tate. You will likely develop a real sympathy for Myatt. There were great moments with Myatt, such as when he watched one of his fakes being auctioned at Christie's, or his realization toward the end of what he was doing. These authors go beyond the facts, and make the reader feel as though they know the players.

It was amazing how Drewe was able to forge the critical provenance documents that "proved" the works of art he was peddling were genuine. This is one of those elegant and intelligent crimes you don't mind watching, and in fact, you might take guilty pleasure in it. It's sort of like watching the "heroes" of "Ocean's 13" knocking over a casino. You know that what they're doing is wrong, but it sure is a lot of fun to watch. I think that will be your feeling when you read "Provenance".

Highly recommended.

(lame)...but a fast-paced and entertaining read overall. It's remarkable how extensive the con this book chronicles was. There's a buyer for every Brooklyn Bridge it seems. Read this one in a very pleasurable afternoon. If you're at all interested in the intersection of art, forgery, and commerce, have at!

The authors describe, in fine investigative journalist style, how a swindler created a document trail for a string of modern art forgeries. They delve into the dark side of the art world; a 20,000 pound sterling gift to the Tate gave the crook unparalleled access to the museum's archives into which he planted false information (the librarians were vigilant about preventing archive users from removing documents, not inserting them).

Provenance is densely documented, but it's also a very good read. The villain is wonderfully over-the-top, a pathological liar who wears bespoke suits and knows all the best maitre d's but seems to relish the intellectual thrill of creating false paper trails as much as he does his ill-gotten gains. No images of the forgeries or representative genuine works of the artists involved, which is a shame, but a well-told tale.

Great book. Sometimes it bogs down a bit. Just skip those few parts and you are good. The one thing that is lacking is photographs! I went to the internet to find pictures of all these people and the artwork. Once you start reading you really want to see their faces and some of Myatt's work. There's lots of info on the web about Myatt today. He is doing well.

The authors never got into how or why John Drewe got all of the guns he had toward the end or what he was going to do with them. I was amazed that Drewe got away with his scam as long as he did. It appeared he was unravelling near the end and that caused big problems. If he could have kept it together and stopped when Myatt wanted too they just MIGHT have gotten away with everything.

This book surprised me. Since most of the true crime books that I read are about murders, I thought that a book about forgery in the art world might be slow and uninteresting by comparison. On the contrary, this book was fascinating, a real page-turner. It is about a fraud perpetrated on the art world. The deception was so successful because one of the criminals gained access to archives and tampered with them, creating phony documentation for forged paintings.

One of the few negative reviews complains about shifts in the narrative. I think this is done for suspense. We are told one piece of the story, and then left hanging for a while, as the story shifts to a different angle. This is not an uncommon technique, and was effective at holding my interest and building suspense.

This is some of the most exciting nonfiction I've read in quite a while. I absolutely couldn't put it down.

The book tells the story of John Drewe, an English con man who, over the course of a decade floods the international art market with fakes and doctors museum paperwork to support his fraudulent acts. His partner in crime, John Myatt, is a talented artist who soon begins to regret his role in the scam but can't afford to give it up.

The slow unraveling of Drewe's career is fascinating. The personalities at work on both sides of the issue are compelling and sympathetic. The author does a great job of laying out the events and makes this story read like fiction.

In his writing about fakes fifteen years ago, Thomas Hoving, the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, introduced me to a word I had not previously encountered: provenance. The word is one that has become more commonly used in the art world, partially because Hoving emphasized that the genuineness of an artwork needed documentation, and provenance provided it. Forty percent of artworks that he had examined for the Met, Hoving said, were fake or misattributed, so authenticity is no small issue. Provenance is the documentation of the history of ownership of a piece of art; a perfect provenance would include the first bill of sale from the artist to the first owner, and every change of ownership thereafter. Museums do not just hang the art on their walls, but they are vitally involved in documenting provenance in their archives, so that if a work's authenticity is suspect, its provenance can be researched. But what if the forgers are not only forging the art, but forging the provenance, too? That's what had been going on for years, as told in _Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art_ (The Penguin Press) by Laney Salisbury and Aly Sujo. The con man was John Drewe, and the forger he seduced into his game was John Myatt, and Scotland Yard called their scheme the biggest art fraud of the 20th century. The history of the fraud as told here is detailed and exciting, and the intelligence and seductiveness of the ingenious Drewe, well chronicled here, make him one of the most interesting of criminals.

Myatt, Drewe's forger, was a skilled artist in his own right, but was failing to make money at it. Myatt could get a better living turning out paintings that looked like the work of Monet or Turner, but which were clearly reproductions and did not pretend to be the real thing. He was a single father, trying to get by, and was delighted to come to the attention of John Drewe in 1985. Drewe originally contracted with Myatt for a "small Matisse" and then he asked for a Klee, and then others, and soon he was Myatt's biggest customer. Drewe was chatty and complimentary. Before long, he told Myatt that he had sold one of Myatt's reproductions, of a cubist painting supposedly by Albert Gleizes, as genuine, and had gotten £25,000 for it. Drewe offered half the money to Myatt, who accepted and was hooked. Drewe ingratiated himself into the Institute of Contemporary Arts, persuading the staff that he knew just how essential archiving was, and that he knew how it was hard to get money for the behind-the-scenes work of the archivists, and that he was just the hero to rescue the institute's disorganized records. He proceeded to organize the dusty shelves and file boxes, kindly getting them out of everyone's way by taking them home so he could do the work there. He thus had a treasure trove of stationery, receipts, handwriting, and catalogues which he could collage together to invent a provenance for Myatt's paintings. He arranged to have pictures of the works inserted into the binders that documented previous exhibits. He dreamed up a connection with a religious order that supposedly had held some of the artworks and had sold them off, and he documented the sales. In fact, sometimes Drewe did his job too well; the artist Alberto Giacometti was informal about his business practices, but Drewe's documentation of provenance for one of his paintings was perfect, and in this case, perfection was suspect.

In his trial, Drewe represented himself and pictured himself the victim of various conspiracies and mysterious dirty tricks by the government he had tried to serve in his imaginary capacity as consultant. He served four years in prison, and still swears he was innocent, although he failed to supply to the authors the documentation that he said would prove it. Myatt cooperated with the investigation, served four months, and had a far more satisfactory outcome. He returned to his previous career of making his fakes, but signing them with his own name; some clients have asked him not to put his indelible stamp "Genuine Fakes" on the back of his works, but he has declined. His notoriety in this case has only added to the value of his works, proving that sometimes crime does (eventually) pay. Among the more startling facts within this gripping true-crime book is that not all the forgeries are found. There were around 200 forged paintings sold, and only 80 have been rounded up and kept off the market as fakes. The rest are out there somewhere, still ready for the next buyer. They look pretty close to the real thing, and they all have papers to prove they are genuine.

This is a fascinating book.

Reading the first few dozen pages, you'll think you're embarked on a kind of cloak-and-dagger detective thriller with the high-priced art market in London, about 20 years ago, as its setting. The story is about the partnership of two swindlers--a forger of paintings purportedly by famous 20th-century artists, and a brilliant con-man who masterminds the operation of foisting these on the public, contriving phony archival evidence for their claimed authenticity. The narrative voice at first confines itself to telling the story and doesn't comment on it much. If this were all there were to the book it would be enough to keep you on the edge of your seat, because the storytelling is lively, and skillfully and gracefully handled.

But there's a lot more. Little by little, almost without your realizing it's happening, because the style remains simple and direct, that narrative voice begins making some wise and profound global observations. These come from a willingness on the authors' part to acknowledge and wrestle with ambiguities, moral and aesthetic, in the ways we all preconsciously understand how to make our way in modern times.

We find ourselves exploring the deep paradoxes of art's creation and reception. The authors recognize that because an important part of the charm of 20th-century Euro-centered art lies in its childlikeness--its willingness, expressed in both its makers and appreciators, to forgo traditional technical displays (elegant draughtsmanship and so on)--the art becomes a lot easier to forge. But then questions instantly arise about what the grounds really are of this art's inherent worthwhileness, and about the public's competence to judge it. Is 20th-century art secretly the work of charlatans? Is its public deserving of the same ridicule that H.C. Andersen levels against our species in his Emperor's New Clothes parable? Meaning, in this context, that we're guilty of aesthetic obtuseness and shallowness, snobbery, overcompensated insecurity, and a herd mentality. But these authors don't mention Andersen. They're not out to indict. They're penetrating but remarkably kind on the whole to the art, the artists and the public.

A yet more general paradox concerns the pervasive and repellent divorce of aesthetic value from monetary value in the art world. If forgeries even of old masters like Vermeer can sometimes fool the experts, then are there really grounds for belief that aesthetic value will reliably come out in the wash? If not, should we all just cynically treat art the same way investors treat bonds, hedgefunds and soybeans? These authors don't try to answer unanswerable questions, but they love art and trust it to come through for us in the long run. By the end of the book, the reader finds himself buoyed by their affection and respect for the enterprise itself of making art for its own sake.

The portraits of the two perpetrators are extraordinary too. The moral paradoxes concerning them parallel and interfuse with the aesthetic paradoxes arising out of their doings. There's some high-powered psychology brought to bear on them, particularly on the sociopathic con-man, whose M.O. features rape-like intrusions into the reality-systems in place around him. He's really horrifying. But again, this book takes a synoptic view. We inevitably blame him, but his depredations have explanations--he too is human. Contrariwise, his partner the forger, a right-brained painter, paradoxically ends up a sort of hero to the outer world, once he has atoned for his trespasses, and mysteriously we find ourselves sharing in the authors' sympathy for him!

This is a fantastic book--humane in the best and widest sense.

This book is fascinating. Anyone who writes a bad review is just jealous that they didn't write it or else are terrified that they overpaid for a forgery! The authors tell an interesting tale that's part con, mystery, and caper that's actually well-crafted investigative journalism. Usually, filmmakers or writers can make these high-falutin' arthouse thefts very uninteresting for people who can't or won't plunk down millions of dollars for artwork, but give it a try -- it's better than a lot of fiction!

"There is nothing stranger than the truth". Reads like a thriller, a real page turner, and if the author didn't tell us otherwise, it would be hard to believe that all of this really happened. A fascinating story of John Drewe and his main "collaborator" John Myatt and how they pulled off arguably the largest heist ever: forged provenance, forged paintings, and plenty of social engineering, all in one. Well researched, well written, and a great read overall, regardless whether you are an arts buff or not.

This book is a great ride through the mostly British upper class world of art collection during the 1980's and 90s. A detective story crossed with an Ealing comedy mixed with a biting look at the way art snobbery and fashion corrupt us. What is especially good is the author's minute attention to revealing details about character and motivation as well as the precise way art forgers do their work. The central character the master manipulator himself could not be invented -he is a sheer criminal genius whose ruthless ability to understand human weakness and exploit it for his own ends is something to behold. Well worth a read.

This book takes an interesting look at the art world and a portrayal of a master criminal who has no boundaries. John Drewe the main character of this book can spin stories that cause everyone to believe him, even when he is trying to prove the madness of his common law wife. And what makes it all the more interesting is that the story is entirely true. Drewe was a quirky, amoral personality and his actions damaged numerous people (including his wife). He was a remorseless fabricator to the end, claiming at trial that he hadn't done anything, but that it was all government conspiracies to frame him. I highly suggest this book to people who love real life drama and the complicated people in it. I found this story fascinating and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good read!

Provenance is the best creative non-fiction that I have read since Hot Zones. Similarities include a fascinating topic,impeccable research, global impact and eccentric characters. Contemporary art forgery is a subject that could have been fairly dry. The authors kept me reading for two days and I came away with more than the facts of John Mayatt, a great forger and John Drewe, an even more accomplished con man. I have always been a bit puzzled by the marketing of contemporary artists. Provenance offers a blunt and unvarnished view into this process. Just fascinating -Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern ArtI was sorry to complete the last page but delighted to see that Salisbury and Aly Sujo provide a bibliography that offers endless great reading.

Solidly written and thoroughly researched, "Provenance" offers an insightful look at the ins and outs of art fraud, showing both the technical and logistical hurdles involved in introducing fakes into the market. It also paints a sympathetic portrait of the forger Myatt (a somewhat sad character, truth be told) and an equally credible, if understandably much less positive, picture of the conman Drewe. On the whole, a terrific book, which I wholeheartedly recommend.

Jonathan Lopez, author of "The Man Who Made Vermeers"

This book is keeps you hanging in there begging for more. It's a real page turner. I've never read a non-fiction book that I couldn't put down. As soon as I finish one chapter I HAVE to read what happens next.
It's clear that a great deal of research and personal interviews went into the writing of this book. It truly reads like a story though I'm also learning a great deal about aspects of the art world I was unaware of. The main character seems like a fictional character, it's amazing that people could live their lives the way he did.
I highly recommend this book. You'll have so much fun reading it and when you're done you'll come out smarter without even realizing it!

Bernie Madoff, eat your heart out! John Drewe's art forgery scams make him scads of money, but what he's really robbing people of is the certainty that the fine art they're looking at (or paid scads of cash for) is authentic. I am in awe of the way Salisbury and Sujo handled the many plot twists and complex characters in this story. This is a page turner and a joy to read. Don't miss it.

If Dan Brown can mezmerize the planet with his breakneck tales of intrigue and coverup, Laney Salisbury has created her own masterful account of a gang of con men out of a Dan Brown epic. Except that Salisbury's figures actually exist. And that the story of forgery and deceit in the art world still taints the art market today. I urge everyone to read this brilliant book. For an historian, it's a perfect example of how historical facts can be birthed as a readable, exciting and compelling narrative. That in itself is a big achievement: but Salisbury's profile of the "villians" in her saga will surprise you. Under her pen, these men become many-faceted and fascinating in their own rights. A tour de force!!

This well-written and well-researched book tells the true story of British con artist John Drewe, who managed to pull off one of the biggest art frauds of the 20th Century. The story is as engrossing as any fictional mystery, and entertainingly details not only the ingenious methods of the slippery character who managed to fool the art establishment, but also the help he got from the various art dealers, salesmen, collectors, and experts who became his unwitting accomplices.

I just loved this story about the most amazing hoax pulled off in the art world, with John Drewe, the con man you love to hate, hatching and actually implementing the most fantastical schemes to make even the staff of the world's fanciest museums believe in the authenticity of the phony works he was peddling. A great thriller, and the personalities of the leading characters really come through: brilliant, ruthless Drewe, and the tragic figure of the talented but unsuccessful painter John Myatt who got roped into his schemes. Go Scotland Yard!

Provenance becomes a fast read as you quickly turn the pages to find out how this outrageous scam scheme was pulled off. The characters are wonderful and what a bird's eye view into the world of art, galleries and museums! Even if you do not have alot of interest in these areas the book will hold your attention as the mystery unravels. I have both lent my book to friends and ordered copies for presents.

A very informative book written in a dull and ponderous manner. I downloaded this as an audiobook and I am glad that I did. There's just no way that I could have gotten through it unless it was in audio form.

If you are seeking an extremely detailed account of a forger's travels through the pretentious London-based world of art and provenance fraud, this work is for you. If you are seeking a true crime story with interesting characters told in thrilling manner, you'll go wanting.

About 40% into this book about a British art "con man" and his forger partner, we get this line "In Texas, a retarded man convicted of murder was executed after the newly inaugurated governor, George Bush, turned down his appeal for clemency." Why? This had nothing to do with the story, plot, people and never had any context to the story. It was thrown-in out of no where and abandoned without further contribution to the novel.