Canvas & Consequence

The Forger Who Made the Experts Look Like Idiots

Episode Summary

Han van Meegeren sold a fake Vermeer to a Nazi war criminal, then had to forge another masterpiece in prison just to prove he was a liar — and somehow walked out a national hero. This is the story of how the art world's obsession with genius, provenance, and its own authority made it the perfect mark. It's also a story about what we're actually buying when we buy 'authenticity.'