Canvas & Consequence

The Forger Who Fooled the Nazis (And Everyone Else)

Episode Summary

Han van Meegeren painted fake Vermeers so convincing that Hermann Göring traded 137 stolen masterpieces for one—then after WWII, van Meegeren was arrested as a Nazi collaborator for selling Dutch national treasures to the enemy. The twist? He had to prove in court that he was 'just' a forger to avoid execution, revealing the art world's dirty secret about authentication and expertise.