Forgery has been described as the “second oldest profession.” For as long as there have been artists, there have also been forgers. Using a variety of techniques and methods, these figures have attempted to deceive the world with their work, often gaining notoriety in the process. While many forgers share some common characteristics and motivations, each has their own unique story. Click on the names below to learn more about some of history’s most notorious forgers.

Wolfgang Beltracchi 
William Blundell 
Michelangelo Buonarroti 
Elmyr de Hory 
Alceo Dossena 
Luca Giordano 
Shaun Greenhalgh 
Guy Hain 
Eric Hebborn 
Clifford Irving 
Geert Jan Jansen 
Icilio Federico Joni 
Tom Keating 
Mark Landis 
Lothar Malskat and Dieter Fey 
Han van Meegeren 
John Myatt 
Ken Perenyi 
Pei-Shen Qian 
Guy Ribes 
Ely Sakhai 
The Spanish Forger 
Reinhold Vasters 
Otto Wacker