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will continue the story of poddelschikah. Here's a summary of the book Alain Marture "Art in the fire" in the website of Adrian Darmon.


Alain Marture, the son of a convict, in the past vlomschik and absolutely brilliant forger of paintings, the author of numerous forgeries, signed by the brand name, Derain, Vlaminck, Utrillo, Modigliani and other major artists, has written a book "Art in the fire."

Odiz of his thesis - is that the end of XVIII century to the end of XIX was made not less than 200000 first-rate imitations of the great hudlozhnikov. Many of them are at present the originals - they have been authenticated museum conservatives and hang in the exposition of different museums.

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This master forgeries began his career twenty years - he began to make forgery for the owners of the discos, which ordered him the canvases of the Impressionists, Fauvism and Post-Impressionists, and then sold them on the market. In performing this work, he became acquainted with the most famous people on the art market and, in particular, with Marchand Petridesom, for which he produced fake Utrillo.

Dealer paintings by Fernand Legros sold many of his forgeries, including forged Marche, where this crook he previously authenticated by the widow of the artist.

On manufactured Marture Derain fake certificates of authenticity willingly gave out his daughter and widow of the artist: "Daughters by Maurice de Vlaminck's need for money to repair his suburban home. How many certificates they have issued Fernand Legros? "- Marture wrote in his book. Further, he concludes: "At prtyazhenii Legros period, which lasted until about 1970 certificates of authenticity are often arrived before the execution of the picture, so this whole beau monde (widows, mistresses, and all successors, do not trouble yourself with questions of morality) was in a hurry to get their reward.

Legros sold in the U.S. an incredible number of fakes made Marture, including quite a lot of Kolliur signed by Derain and always accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

In order to deceive the fans of his paintings of Monet, Bonnard, David, Jerome, it was necessary to have a certain talent, and especially the ability to adjust to the style of forgery artist.
Marture The secret was simple: he was trying to put yourself in the place of the artist to feel their feelings, to pass his way and to work instinctively, without thinking, "disconnect reason" not to lose the spontaneity and automaticity hands, as this would be his once issued.
Once a wealthy lover of fine Marture asked to perform for him the most beautiful paintings in the world, and our forger has made for him pictures of Van Gogh, Gauguin and Modigliani, unbelievable truth. He argues that one of his "Vincent" was sold at a fabulous price at one of the most famous auctions.
This brilliant forger finds that even in the case of cultured people, the experts really know well is not more than 60 paintings: "Usually, this amount does not exceed 25, and I can prove it: from the beginning of the Mei copyist all ordered me to work not exceed the 60 "standard" pictures. I was familiar with the expert who could not quote without preparation, and more than 40 paintings that did not prevent him from doing due diligence and to sell several thousand works. "
Let us say at once: to the professional art market, he is without piiteta - he believes that they are unable to love art for the sake of painting.
Marture lists artists whose work he forged: Turner, Degas, Lautrec, Cezanne, Klimt, Matisse, Dufy, Monet, Vuillard, de Stael, Chagall, Gauguin. Counterfeits of the latter they are produced on canvas from the mail sacks, which he stole from the postman: "Sometimes I laugh at myself in the mustache, seeing that the market appeared" real "Gauguin's drawing, made by me ...
And further: "I presented at a televised three works, and it was stated that two of them - are forgeries. Without hesitation a respected expert pointed to the one which he believed was the only original. All is well, but only, all three films were written by me. "
And then, to escape from himself, says that Soutine and Kisling produced a fair number of "Modigliani" commissioned Zborowski, Marchand Modigliani. Now they are all authenticated as original by the Italian artist,
Marture said they found several versions of works in the middle of Munch and Delaunay in a museum in Oslo, and adds: "I think I - one of the artists whose works are found in most American museums."
He proudly says that the author of dozens of fake Dufy watercolors, occupying pride of place in the bourgeois salons of the United States.
Marture convinced that the demand for counterfeits was caused by increasingly speculative art market. He recalled the case of David Stein, another brilliant counterfeiter painting - a scandal in the United States in 1960. Revealed the existence of a highly profitable market of fakes (Matisse, Miro, Chagall) - the case of two paintings by Watteau, in fact, made a copyist and Kiyarom acquired by the Louvre, or the famous "hat" Magritte, sold at auction famous auctioneer, Mr. Reims. In conclusion, he pointed out that lithography without any doubt has concentrated the largest number of counterfeiters and represents the most significant market fraud - because The Draw graphics diverges millions ekzempl \ ravines. His advice: do not forget that the "genuine lithography strong smell oily ink, fake does not smell anything."
With regard to the works of French art on display in museums in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Marture says that Daniel Vildenshtayn found among them 17 counterfeit, but conservatives in the Louvre Germain Bazin found the 18-S. Paradoxically, because of his discovery, he lost his seat. Regarding the collection of Pierpont Morgan and Andrew Mellon, bequeathed his collection of the Metropolitan Museum, he claimed, they are teeming with fakes.
In conclusion, Alain Marture explains that he does not consider himself the author of counterfeits: he continues the work of an artist to glorify the name of the latter's manufacturing, as it were copies of works that the artist simply did not have time to create.