This week ive been absolutely immersed in ken perenyis new memoir, caveat emptor. A tale of art forgery, sex slavery and single parenthood. Nov 30, 2015 skillfully plotted, the art forger book will entertain you and keep you turning the pages. Although you may stop for a cup of coffee or tea to enjoy as you continue on reading, the art forger will keep you entranced as you delve deeper and deeper into this addicting novel. Ken perenyi once had an extravagant life as a prolific art forger, but now he sells his faked oils as the reproductions of the masters for a fraction of his earlier prices. Caveat emptor for over thirty years ken perenyi s paintings have passed through major auction houses and galleries in new york and london as original works.
Buttersworth and confesses it all in his new book,caveat emptor. Attorneys office in the southern district of new york was about to expose a scandal in the art world that would have been frontpage news in new york and london. Ken perenyi the secret life of an american art forger. A former forger recalls his art ken perenyi made millions painting and selling more than 1,000 forgeries over 30 years. The story is so crazy i cant believe he didnt tell it sooner. How ken, as an academically disinclined new jersey teenager with no. Perenyis life and conveys the details of various painting styles in way that kept my attention. Ken perenyi, art forger, now sells his work as copies the new. Art forgery is the creating and selling of works of art which are falsely credited to other, usually more famous artists. Ken perenyi, art forger, now sells his work as copies the.
Ken perenyi made millions painting and selling more than forgeries. Perenyi began to pay attention to the details of these pieces, what elements made up an artists style, what made a painting look old, the. And that they did, routinely mesmerizing the experts in mere seconds. Dec 30, 2012 shapiros brisk narrative takes the reader through bostons art world, the logistics of forgery and the perils of attribution, shuttling between the present and three years earlier, when. Home galleries caveat emptor caveat emptor scrapbook recent work press speaking engagements. Dont buy the book on perenyis art forgery career angela fowler september 2, 2012 at 11. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. When art forger ken perenyis captivating autobiography, caveat emptor, was published in 2012, the internet swirled with debate over the morality of forging works of art to be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars to an easily duped art market that traffics in stuffed sharks, piles of candy and unmade beds to the. The technical aspect of art forgery was facinating and was probably the best part of the story for me. You could also consider it a caper story and not be far wrong.
The book caveat emptor is the astounding tale of a man. Perenyi duped auction houses, dealers and collectors in the united states and britain with hundreds of forged paintings by his own hand, ranging. The secret life of an american art forger by ken perenyi. Would recommend this book to anyone who loves art as.
The secret life of an american art forger what we discuss with ken perenyi. A series of fateful events resulted in what was to become a thirtyyear career as a professional art forger. Why spend millions at sothebys and christies ken perenyi s book is out. Visits with daly and masaccio to the metropolitan museum of art and the auction rooms of new york city gave perenyi all he needed to begin producing his flemish paintings. Born in 1949 in hoboken, new jersey, ken perenyi is a selftaught artist who painted his first pictures during the summer of love in 1967, having discovered an uncanny ability to intuitively grasp the aesthetic and technical aspects of the old masters. And so of course, reading your book, caveat emptor. Budapest, april 14, 1906 ibiza, december 11, 1976 was a hungarianborn painter and art forger, who is said to have sold over a. Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of.
Jan 01, 2012 this book by a wildly successful american art forger is compulsively readable. The topic of a the life of an art forger sounded completely intriguing. It is said that the greatest art forger in the world is the one who has never been caughtthe astonishing story of americas most accomplished art forger. Painter, draft dodger, and art world huckster perenyi offers a facile account of the glory days of his 30year career as an art forger. What sets a good forger apart from a worldclass one. Ten years ago, an fbi investigation was about to expose a scandal in the art world that would have been frontpage news in new york and london. But the bostonarea authors sixth novel offers no heartpounding action, no breakneck pace, only a modicum. Amazon price new from used from kindle edition please retry. The secret life of an american art forger paperback nov 5 20. This study guide refers specifically to the following version of this book.
Boston globes best crime books of 2012 2012 netgalley pick kobos best fiction ebooks of 2012 the art forger is the real thing. That nobody knows anything seems to be shapiros the safe room, 2002, etc. Shapiros new book the art forger is billed as a literary thriller. Ten years ago, an fbi investigation in conjunction with the u. Hes imitated the likes of charles bird king and james.
And unlike other forgers, perenyi produced no paper trail, no fake provenance whatsoever. I had just that morning come to the end of perenyi s fascinating memoir, caveat emptor. Ken perenyi, master art forger reveals secret life youtube. The secret life of an american art forger pegasus books, and my thoughts about art, the art market, and confidence games had been perfectly scrambled.
Produced by apluzflims on march 18, 1990, thirteen. When art forger ken perenyis captivating autobiography, caveat emptor, was published in 2012, the internet swirled with debate over the morality of forging works of art to be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars to an easily duped art market that traffics in stuffed sharks, piles of candy and unmade beds to the tune of millions of dollars. Shapiros brisk narrative takes the reader through bostons art world, the logistics of forgery and the perils of attribution, shuttling between the present and three years earlier, when. The secret life of an american art forger ken perenyi, dan butler on. Shapiro is the new york times bestselling author of the muralist and the art forger, which won the new england book award for fiction and the boston authors society award for fiction, among other honors. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading caveat emptor. Artist ken perenyi has created a successful career at copying famous works of art. A cleverly plotted artworld thrillerromance with a murky moral core. Perenyi s career covers so many periods of art history and painting. The 8 most prolific forgers in art history that we know of. Shapiro in which painting reproductionist claire roth is hired to duplicate the degas painting after the bath, one of. He comes clean to tell us how he got away with it in his book caveat emptor.
Caveat emptor for over thirty years ken perenyis paintings have passed through major auction houses and galleries in new york and london as original works. A decade ago, the fbi and other investigators were poised to shine light on an operation that would have brought disgrace and humiliation to many individuals and. The secret life of an american art forger kindle edition by perenyi, ken. It is said that the greatest art forger in the world is the one who has never.
Oct 23, 2012 a cleverly plotted artworld thrillerromance with a murky moral core. In boston, painter claire roth has spent three years dealing with the guilt and scandal of her. When art forger ken perenyis captivating autobiography, caveat emptor, was published in 2012, the internet swirled with debate over the morality of forging works of art to be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars to an easily duped art market that traffics in stuffed sharks, piles of candy and unmade beds to the tune of millions of. Studying a book of his life and his forgery techniques, perenyi began. Ken perenyi has new videos that demonstrate just how an art forger can create paintings like the old masters. She makes a faustian bargain with a powerful gallery owner to forge a degas painting stolen in the isabella stewart gardner museum art heist in exchange for a one woman art. The book caveat emptor is the astounding tale of a man regarded as the best art forger ever to work in the united states. While other forgers left behind some evidence of their deeds, perenyi created no paper trail and no fake provenance, making this oneofakind work the only record of it. Perenyi s life and conveys the details of various painting styles in way that kept my attention. Cbs news cbs news art dealers and collectors are all embarrassed whenever a painting that appears to be genuine turns out to be a fake. The art forger loved this book a well written look inside the art world from the artist perspective. By his own admission, ken perenyi is a liar, a cheat, and a thiefbut.
Were considering expanding this synopsis into a fulllength study guide to deepen your comprehension of the book and why its important. She has taught sociology at tufts university and creative writing at northeastern university and lives in boston with her husband, dan, and their dog, sagan. A decade ago, the fbi and other investigators were poised to shine light on an operation that would have brought disgrace and humiliation to many individuals and companies in the art work. Caveat emptor tells the story of americas only truly successful art forger. Shapiro is the author of the awardwinning new york times bestseller the art forger and the bestseller the muralist. See all 9 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. The secret life of an american art forger and millions of other books are. Claire roth, an aspiring young artist, has a boston studio apartment and is the central character throughout. Shapiros latest novel, the art forger, published by algonquin books of chapel hill. The secret life of an american art forger, will be published next month and tells the story of ken perenyi, an american who lived in london for 30 years.
Master forger comes clean about tricks that fooled art world. For an art lover, i think a hard copy of the book would be invaluable because mr. For decades the new jersey native made a very good living forging valuable paintings. Nov 27, 2012 a promotional short film announcing the publication of b. Ken perenyi is a former art forger who spent 34 years creating fake paintings that passed muster among the experts in the worlds major auction houses and galleries. A book about han van meegeren, a dutch art forger, taught the author the basic principles of forgery, and a job working for a conservator allowed him to hone his talents. After studying art in new jersey, perenyi and his friends were inspired by the experience of the forger han van meegeren. When art forger ken perenyi s captivating autobiography, caveat emptor, was published in 2012, the internet swirled with debate over the morality of forging works of art to be sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars to an easily duped art market that traffics in stuffed sharks, piles of candy and unmade beds to the tune of millions of dollars.
Nov 05, 20 this book will entertain and reveal alot about how a talented artist slipped into the underworld dealings of art forgery. What perenyi did well in the story was elaborate on how he learned the art of forgeries and provided insights on what an original, uncleaned painting looked like. Why spend millions at sothebys and christies ken perenyis book is out. Master forger comes clean about tricks that fooled art. This book by a wildly successful american art forger is compulsively readable. Caveat emptor is unique in that it is the first and only book by and about americas first and only great art forger. Perenyi writing style is a little disjointed or poorly edited. For over thirty years, ken perenyi raked in riches by forging masterpieces, convincing even the most discerning experts that his works were.
Aug 16, 2012 artist ken perenyi has created a successful career at copying famous works of art. The true confessions of the most infamous artforger in american history. Master forger comes clean about tricks that fooled art world for four. I want to get your background because i think a lot of folks wonder what kind of person becomes an art forger. Below are links to some of the different examples of his work. This summary of the art forger includes a complete plot overview spoilers included. A promotional short film announcing the publication of b. With an interesting cast of true life characters the book keeps the reader engaged and waiting for the dramatic reveal, or in this case the moment of truth. Ken perenyi created a niche for himself by imitating artists whose work is wellknown heade, buttersworth, etc.
Ken perenyi, art forger, now sells his work as copies. After a trail of fake paintings of astonishing quality led federal agents to art dealers, renowned. The secret life of an american art forger by perenyi, ken. Aug 15, 2012 caveat emptor is unique in that it is the first and only book by and about americas first and only great art forger. When i bought ken perenyi s book of the same name, i assumed he was referring to the buyers of his forged art. Turns out to be a more appropriate warning for buyers of this book. The secret life of an american art forger, will be published next month and tells the story of ken perenyi, an. Art forgery can be extremely lucrative, but modern dating and analysis techniques have made the identification of forged artwork much simpler. Ken perenyi the secret life of an american art forger jordan. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. For more cnn videos, check out our youtube channel at. Jul 19, 2012 ken perenyi once had an extravagant life as a prolific art forger, but now he sells his faked oils as the reproductions of the masters for a fraction of his earlier prices.
1623 711 341 102 1334 650 983 693 463 725 223 854 1020 211 486 1080 1265 1164 1230 873 1553 610 1600 465 1595 605 1006 520 286 576 831 960 806 101 1071 441 1166