Provenance: How a Con Man and a Forger Rewrote the History of Modern Art

I am so glad I had the opportunity of reading this book. I first heard about the very talented John Myatt via a painting programme on TV, then again in another series. His history piqued my interest, and I bought the book - and it's one of the best books I've read (and I read a lot of books.) As others have commented, it's extremely well-written and packed with fascinating information about the art world both historical and contemporary. John's role in the "crime" was, I believe, a result of being easily-led by a greedy trickster, and John took his punishment and has come out the other side a better person for it. The book really does read like a novel, and I finished the book in record time because I couldn't put it down. I would recommend this book to anyone, regardless of whether they had an interest in art (as I do) or not.

I don't pretend to know anything about art; I know if I like a painting, and for me, that is all that really matters. I appreciate the skill of an artist. But, what really intrigues me is what makes art so desirable that it reaches ridiculously high prices. And why, if a painting fools experts, does its sale price decrease through the floor, when the artist has shown just as much skill as the original artist? Quoting a forger called van Meegeren within this book, this sentiment is also pondered by those who have forged artwork:"Yesterday, this picture was worth millions of guilders and experts and art lovers would come from all over the world and pay money to see it... Today, it is worth nothing, and nobody would cross the street to see it for free. But the picture has not changed. What has?" (p.238)Although he was talking specifically about art, this highlights the curious nature of collecting, and what makes one item more desirable than another. What "Provenance" does is to show you how John Drewe recruited John Myatt, and then managed to pull off one of the biggest art cons of recent times. It is a fascinating read, going into a lot of detail - you really do get a good idea of the people as they really are. It is incredible to think that Drewe was able to get away with this for so long. And it raises fascinating questions around art and the art world.

I bought this book because the artist at the centre of this story is an acquaintance of mine. We used to sing in the same village choir and the drama was all going on behind the scenes whilst he was performing beautiful tenor solos for us! None of his fellow choristers spoke of it except to express sadness when he went down, On occasion he would write amusing letters from his cell to our choir director, who would then read out his letters. No-one judged him - we all knew subliminally that he had been by and large, the victim of cunning crook. He's had the last laugh though - his 'genuine fake' paintings are selling for thousands. There is justice in this world after all!

This is a can't put down book ! An intoxicating page turner and a book waiting to be filmed. An astonishing true story which opens up the seedier side of the art world with a fantastic fast paced account of this most elaborate of con's. The big disappointment was the complete lack of any illustrations of the forged paintings and drawings or photographs of those involved, which for me would have given more substance and interest to the book.

I first came across this story watching a documentary on the Crime and Investigation Network. I could not believe the complexity and sophistication of the scam perpetrated by John Drewe and his accomplices. Surely no one could get away with such an audacious scheme for so long. The whole thing seemed like something from a movie script. I wanted to know more, so I picked up this little volume. This book is a thoroughly researched and insightful treatment of what were a truly remarkable series of real-life events. The writing is engaging and never dull; even when it comes to discussing the finer points of art history; and the colourful cast of characters are really brought to life by the author's literary style. If I had one complaint, it would be that the constant shift in narrative perspective becomes a little wearing. While the approach works when dealing with primary characters, it is less effective, perhaps even a little confusing, when it involves minor characters who only pop up once or twice. That, however, is a small complaint. All in all I recommend this book as well worth a read!

I normally only read fiction but I loved this book and couldn't put it down. It is well structured and moves along with the pace of a good thriller. I really got to know the characters who are rendered in 3D with ups and downs, twists and turns like I would expect in a mystery drama or a detective story. It would make a great movie without any Holywoodizing of the facts

The story of how a thoroughly nice, responsible and talented fellow got led 'across the line' into the world of fraud and duplicity was intriguing to say the least. As I hoped would be the case all along, Myatt is now a respected and respectable member of the art fraternity and earning what he always deserved- a living and considerable kudos.

Excellent read. Particularly if you like art and it’s history. Unbelievable how the art world could be conned in this way. I enjoyed thinking there are still lots of forgeries out there that no-one knows about.

This was a really fun and easy read. While the book isn't short, it was the sort of thing that you just couldn't put down, and so it didn't take long to read. Anybody who is interested in art scandals or art forgery will really love this book, While the story of a con-man who believed his own lies and a painter turned inadvertent forger seems too fantastic to be a true story, it really did happen. John Myatt, the artist/forger, is worth looking up after reading this book, as he did some television work following what happens in the book that is also interesting.

A large number of books have been published in recent years on the subject of fraudulent art. A few are autobiographical accounts, some are biographies, and many are academic studies on what motivates fakers, their techniques, and how they inject their phony works into the market. John Drewe, the central figure around whom the story of this book is built, is a uniquely clever and industrious con-man. As the title suggests, his complex swindle involved creating a bogus provenance for the fraudulent works he had commissioned. He insinuated himself into museum archives where he secretly inserted the forged documentation. It was a scheme that fooled much of the art establishment for years. Worse, he so debased the archives that they could never be entirely relied upon again. Provenance is a real life thriller and detective yarn, a factual account of a singular and elaborate scam. It provides a knowledgeable glimpse into the shady machinations, the greed and dangers of a secretive art world in which huge amounts of money change hands daily. It also delves into the strange world of John Drewe, a highly intelligent, inventive, but totally corrupt figure, a sociopath and pathological liar whose life is driven by falsehoods and fantasy. Provenance is a smoothly written and well researched book, a true account of remarkable events, one that is both instructive and pleasurable to read.

Dieses Buch ist sehr empfehlenswert fuer kunstinteressierte Leute. Ein Maler, der keinen Erfolg mit seinen eigenen Bildern hat, ist in der Lage, Werke bekannter Kuenstler so gut zu faelschen, dass selbst erfahrene Kunstexperten getaeuscht werden

Quite a well-told story of greed and manipulation in the London art world. The authors should consider writing about the murder of forger, Eric Hebborn, next.

I very much enjoyed this book. I learned quite a lot about how the "art world" works. The story is a compelling one, the research seems solid, the writing is fluent and engaging, and the book is a remarkably easy read when you consider how much technical material is covered in it. The authors have a real knack for descriptive writing, making things that the reader cannot see real and solid in the mind's eye.However, there were three things that I found frustrating about the book. First, the lack of illustrations -- it seems as if the book would have been stronger if there had been images to help the non-expert understand the ways in which the forged pieces were good and the ways in which they fell short. Second, I was left with real curiosity about what Drewe had been doing prior to this scheme. I wish that the authors had managed to uncover this information. it seems odd to me that where they are willing to make educated guesses (always identified as such!) about other things, they had no theories to advance about this particular point. And finally, I find myself wondering where the painting Myatt says he did not do came from.These are minor quibbles, and should in no way stop anyone with an interest in art, in confidence games, or in interesting well-told stories from picking this book up and getting a great deal of enjoyment out of it.