A Forger's Tale
Confessions of the Bolton Forger
Published on 5. April 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-76029-528-8 (ISBN)
Description
Observer's Best Art Book of the Year, 2018
In 2007, Bolton Crown Court sentenced Shaun Greenhalgh to four years and eight months in prison for the crime of producing artistic forgeries. Working out of a shed in his parents' garden, Greenhalgh had successfully fooled some of the world's greatest museums. During the court case, the breadth of his forgeries shocked the art world and tantalised the media. What no one realised was how much more of the story there was to tell.
Written in prison, A Forger's Tale details Shaun's notorious career and the extraordinary circumstances that led to it. From Leonardo drawings to L.S. Lowry paintings, from busts of American presidents to Anglo-Saxon brooches, from cutting-edge Modernism to the ancient art of the Stone Age, Greenhalgh could - and did - copy it all. Told with great wit and charm, this is the definitive account of Britain's most successful and infamous forger, a man whose love for art saturates every page of this extraordinary memoir.
In 2007, Bolton Crown Court sentenced Shaun Greenhalgh to four years and eight months in prison for the crime of producing artistic forgeries. Working out of a shed in his parents' garden, Greenhalgh had successfully fooled some of the world's greatest museums. During the court case, the breadth of his forgeries shocked the art world and tantalised the media. What no one realised was how much more of the story there was to tell.
Written in prison, A Forger's Tale details Shaun's notorious career and the extraordinary circumstances that led to it. From Leonardo drawings to L.S. Lowry paintings, from busts of American presidents to Anglo-Saxon brooches, from cutting-edge Modernism to the ancient art of the Stone Age, Greenhalgh could - and did - copy it all. Told with great wit and charm, this is the definitive account of Britain's most successful and infamous forger, a man whose love for art saturates every page of this extraordinary memoir.
Reviews / Votes
A masterpiece of masquerade...a brilliantly wily reflection on the seductions of art and corruptions of the art world. * The Telegraph * A remarkably lively account...fascinating. * The Times * Greenhalgh has a likable voice, pitched midway between Arthur Daley and Philip Marlowe. And, unsurprisingly, he has an eye for detail...The lingering impression is of a man beguiled by image-making. * The Observer * Here is riveting and affecting Northern realism: Greenhalgh's knowledge is as daunting as it is inspiring. * The Spectator * A lively account of a man who put his genuine talent and love of art to deplorable use. * Daily Mail * An indispensable addition to any rogues' library. * Sunday Independent (Ireland) * A great holiday read. * Artists and Illustrators * A roundabout love letter to art. -- Ben Okri A fascinating gilt box of secret art knowledge and expertise, told in the unpretentious voice of a legendary forger who fooled museums and collectors from his garden shed. -- Dominic Smith, author of THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOS Nothing if not lively * Sunday Times Books of the Year *More details
Edition
Main
Language
English
Place of publication
St Leonards
Australia
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Illustrations
1 x 8pp colour plates
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 128 mm
Thickness: 32 mm
Weight
387 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-76029-528-8 (9781760295288)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
06/2017
Allen & Unwin
€9.99
Available for download