Biggest Art Fraud of 20th Century

Between 1986 and 1994, Myatt churned out more than 200 new works by surrealists, cubists and impressionists, passing them off as originals with the help of an accomplice, John Drewe, an expert at generating false provenances. Despite the fact that many of Myatt's paintings were laughably amateurish (they were executed in emulsion, not oil), they fooled the experts and were auctioned for hundreds of thousands of pounds by Christie's and Sotheby's. It was, said Scotland Yard's art and antiques squad when they finally caught up with Myatt in 1995, bursting into his Staffordshire studio at the crack of dawn, 'the biggest art fraud of the 20th century'. Now his story is being turned into a Hollywood movie starring Michael Douglas - and a prestigious gallery is showing his 'genuine fakes'. For the full story - click the title Irish Art