Fake Painting Wizard Comes to Vietnamese Readers

THE FORGER'S SPELL - A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century - The New York Times bestseller has just been released to Vietnamese readers. The book is over 450 pages thick, translated by experienced translator Dang Thu from the original English version THE FORGER'S SPELL - A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century; published by The Gioi Publishing House; distributed by Phuong Nam Book.

Báo Phú Yên•18/05/2025

The book The Witch's fake painting. Photo: Contributor

In The Forgery Wizard , American writer Edward Dolnick recreates “the true story of a huge hoax. The con man was the most successful forger of the twentieth century, and the worst victim was the second most powerful man in Nazi Germany... Everything about this case is extraordinary.”

The author of one of the biggest art frauds of the 20th century was the Dutch painter Han van Meegeren (1889-1947). After trying to establish himself as a painter but not being recognized by art critics, Han van Meegeren decided to prove his talent in a crazy way: forging paintings created during the Dutch Golden Age. And strangely enough, Han van Meegeren outwitted the leading experts of the time.

During World War II, Hermann Goering, a military commander and leading member of the Nazi Party, bought one of Han van Meegeren’s Vermeers , and it became one of his most prized possessions. After the war, the artist was arrested for selling cultural property to the Nazis. He later confessed that the painting was a fake, and was sentenced to a year in prison. He died of a heart attack less than two months later.

Writer Edward Dolnick was born in 1952. In his career, he has dozens of typical works. He won the Edgar Award for the best true crime writing. With THE FORGER'S SPELL - A True Story of Vermeer, Nazis, and the Greatest Art Hoax of the Twentieth Century , The New York Times commented: "Edward Dolnick has struck a gold mine when discussing the audacity of the process of forging works of art...". The Washington Post wrote: "A fascinating historical story... The Forger raises thought-provoking questions about the nature of art as well as the psychology of deception".

Writer Edward Dolnick says he spent five years “lurking in the dark corners of the art world , hanging out with the charlatans and swindlers and the investigators and detectives who tried to expose them. Without someone to guide me through this underworld, I would never have found my way.”

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/van-nghe/202505/phu-thuy-tranh-gia-mao-den-voi-ban-doc-viet-nam-55f2710/