“Unmasking Deception: The Dark Secrets Behind 8 Infamous Art Forgeries That Fooled the Masters”

Is there a more fitting way to make your mark in the art world than by forging masterpieces that have tricked everyone from museum curators to Nazi collectors? Through the ages, art forgers have danced a tantalizing tango with history—breathing life into lost works and blind-siding those who believed they’d found the real thing. From sly ceramics that unsuspecting buyers flaunted in their homes to paintings that nearly deceived an entire nation, this creative subterfuge sometimes feels as thrilling as the masterpieces themselves. Get ready to explore eight of the most notorious art forgeries ever made, including a sculpture that pretended to be the handiwork of Michelangelo, and the Vermeer that turned heads—and revealed secrets during World War II! Intrigued? Dive into the bizarre world of art deception and learn how the line between fact and fiction can blur so beautifully. LEARN MORE.

Whether for monetary gain or thrill alone, history’s art forgers have fabricated lost pieces, made exacting copies of originals, and imagined whole new visions in the style of famed creators. There are so many examples of these deceptions that there’s a Museum of Art Fakes in Vienna, Austria, filled with duplicitous work. Here are eight of the most notorious forgeries in history, from a Vermeer that tricked a Nazi to a fake sculpture by Michelangelo himself.

1. The Faun
2. Sleeping Eros
3. The Marienkirche Frescoes
4. The Rospigliosi Cup
5. Vase de Fleurs (Lilas)
6. Han van Meegeren’s Vermeers
7. Mary Todd Lincoln Portrait
8. Flower Portrait of William Shakespeare

The Faun