Art Crime discussion

Discuss our new group read. You'll have a month to complete it before we move on to the next book but feel free to read the book at anytime.

I will definitely read this book! I don't know when, can't right now, but from what I've read about it, I think you all will enjoy it.

Provenance: the history of ownership of a valued object or work of art or literature.
 
This book focuses on John Myatt the forger and John Drewe the con man.  I’m not going to recap the entire book but if you have ever doubted or not understood the significance of provenance this book should be a great illustration to its importance and about how easy it is to ruin an artworks reputation. A piece of art accumulates a story as it ages, the more facts, names, and dates connected to a piece of art the more bona fide it becomes. Consider the Mona Lisa what is the first thing you think of or the third, she has a story just as intriguing as her smile.
 
What makes a painting a forgery? What is a painting really worth? Does a name really mean the difference a few dollars to millions of dollars? These were just a few of the questions I thought about after finishing this book. I found it entertaining and interesting a combination of story and information that kept me reading. If you have read any other books on forgery they probably mention John Myatt and John Drewe this book delves into their relationship the scope of their crimes and some of ramifications of their actions.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm new to the group. I just finished "Priceless" and "Hot Art" both of which I thought were on the group list but I must have been mistaken. So, I will suggest those two books for the group and look into "Provenance". Looking forward to this group.

First thanks for commenting and welcome to the group. Hot Art: Chasing Thieves and Detectives Through the Secret World of Stolen Art is the upcoming read for August, I have no idea why PricelessPriceless: How I Went Undercover to Rescue the World's Stolen Treasures was not on the list I thought I had added it. I also read it and loved it. I hope you will participate in our upcoming reads and discussions. Our upcoming books are listed towards the book of the group page, I try to always have the next two months book choices up so it gives people time to find the books. Glad to have you in the group Jeff.