5. John Myatt and John Drew
Forged Modigliani
John Myatt tried to be an honest man. A gifted artistic mimic, he originally offered his paintings for sale with the tagline “Genuine fakes.” However, his collaboration with John Drew led him into criminality when Drew found he could re-sell the paintings for up to £25,000. So began what has been called “the biggest art fraud of the 20th century,” in which Myatt forged over 200 works by Bissiere, Chagall, Le Corbusier, Giacometti and more.
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John Myatt
Convicted in 1999 and released 4 months later, Myatt now paints portraits and copies, and “genuine” Myatt forgeries have sold for up to £45,000 ($74,500).
