Han van Meegeren

Key facts

Lived

1889–1947, Dutch

• What is Han van Meegeren's most famous work?+

  Han van Meegeren is most noted for his art forgeries, rather than original works. His most famous fake is *The Supper at Emmaus*, a painting he created in the style of Johannes Vermeer. In the 1930s, Van Meegeren spent six years perfecting his forgery technique. He acquired 17th-century canvas and pigments and used bakelite as a binding agent to simulate the appearance of an old oil painting. He then "baked" the painting to create craquelure. The composition was based on Caravaggio's *Supper at Emmaus*. Abraham Bredius, a Vermeer expert, declared *The Supper at Emmaus* to be a genuine Vermeer in 1937. The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam acquired it. Van Meegeren's forgeries gained further notoriety after World War II. He was arrested for selling a Vermeer, *Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery*, to the German banker Alois Miedl, who then sold it to Hermann Göring. To avoid being charged as a collaborator, Van Meegeren confessed to forging the painting, as well as several other "Vermeers" and "Pieter de Hoochs". He even painted another Vermeer fake, *The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus at the Temple*, under surveillance. Though initially viewed as a hero for deceiving the Nazis, he was soon charged with fraud and forgery.
• What should I know about Han van Meegeren's prints?+

  Han van Meegeren (1889-1947) is now remembered as a skilled art forger. Although he made prints, he is best known for his fake paintings attributed to Dutch Golden Age masters. In 1937, his painting *Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus* was hailed as a rediscovered Johannes Vermeer. Major figures in the Dutch art world authenticated the work, including Dr A. Bredius, a noted expert on Dutch painting. Other experts, such as Dr A.B. de Vries (director of the Mauritshuis), Dr G. Knuttel Wzn (director of the Haags Gemeentemuseum), and D. Hannema (director of the Boijmans Museum), also supported the attribution. Critics called it a masterpiece. The Boijmans Museum purchased it for 540,000 guilders. Van Meegeren also forged *The Last Supper*, which appeared in 1941. D.C. Röell (director of the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam), Dr A.F.E. van Schendel, Dr C.M.A.A. Lindeman (directors of the Rijksmuseum), and Hannema again attributed it to Vermeer. Technical experts, including Dr A.M. de Wild, confirmed the paint and canvas were from the 17th century. After the Second World War, Van Meegeren confessed to the forgeries. He even painted a "Johannes Vermeer" under police supervision. He was convicted in 1947.
• What style or movement did Han van Meegeren belong to?+

  Han van Meegeren is not associated with any particular art movement. He is primarily known as a skilled art forger. He successfully imitated the styles of various artists, most notably Johannes Vermeer and Pieter de Hoogh. His most famous forgery was *Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus*, which was initially attributed to Vermeer by leading art experts, including Dr A. Bredius. Van Meegeren's forgeries fooled prominent figures in the Dutch art world, including directors of major museums such as the Mauritshuis, the Haags Gemeentemuseum, and the Boijmans Museum. These experts praised and acquired his works, believing them to be genuine Old Dutch paintings. Van Meegeren's ability to convincingly replicate the techniques and materials of 17th-century masters allowed him to deceive collectors and experts alike. The scandal surrounding his forgeries raised concerns about the authentication methods used by art experts and the potential vulnerability of the Dutch art market.
• What techniques or materials did Han van Meegeren use?+

  Han van Meegeren's techniques involved a complex process of simulating the appearance of age in his forgeries. He began with an old canvas, often one stripped from a lesser painting of the period. He then applied a ground layer prepared with lead white, recreating the base used by 17th-century Dutch masters. Van Meegeren mixed his own paints, grinding pigments in oil, and sometimes added ingredients to affect drying time and texture. To simulate the craquelure (fine cracks) of aged paint, he employed various methods. One involved applying the paint layer with a mixture of phenol formaldehyde resin, then baking the finished painting to harden the surface and create the network of cracks. After baking, he would roll the canvas over a cylinder to enhance the cracks. Finally, he would rub India ink into the craquelure to simulate the accumulation of dirt over centuries, thus completing the illusion of an antique painting.
• What was Han van Meegeren known for?+

  Han van Meegeren (1889-1947) was a Dutch painter and art forger. Although he had some success as a painter, he felt unappreciated. He is best known for his skilled forgeries of Dutch Golden Age painters, particularly Johannes Vermeer and Pieter de Hooch. Van Meegeren's most successful forgery was *The Supper at Emmaus*, which was hailed as a genuine Vermeer by the art expert Abraham Bredius in 1937. The Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen in Rotterdam purchased it for a large sum. Other supposed Vermeers followed, bought by collectors and museums, sometimes to prevent their sale to the invading German forces. After World War II, Van Meegeren was arrested for collaboration for selling a Vermeer to Hermann Göring. To avoid a long prison sentence, he confessed to forgery and demonstrated his technique by painting *Jesus among the Doctors* in custody. He was convicted of forgery in 1947 but died shortly after.
• When did Han van Meegeren live and work?+

  Han (or Henricus Antonius) van Meegeren was born in 1889 and died in late 1947. He was active as an art forger from the early 1920s onwards, though he had acquired an enthusiasm for the Dutch Old Masters while still at school. His father insisted he train as an architect; however, in 1913, after six years, Van Meegeren abandoned his architectural studies and enrolled at the Art Academy in The Hague, intending to train as a painter. He left the Art Academy in 1914. In 1932, Van Meegeren moved to the south of France, where he perfected his techniques. After six years of preparation, he embarked on painting his masterpiece of forgery, *The Supper at Emmaus*. In late May 1945, shortly after the end of the Second World War, Van Meegeren was arrested in Holland as a suspected collaborator. He was charged with fraud and art forgery and was tried on these counts in Amsterdam in October 1947. He died of a heart attack at the end of 1947, shortly before he was due to start his sentence.
• Where can I see Han van Meegeren's work?+

  Han van Meegeren's forgeries were so convincing that many ended up in prominent collections. *Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus* was purchased for 540,000 guilders by the Boijmans Museum. Elsewhere, D.G. van Beuningen added *The Last Supper* to his private collection for 1,600,000 guilders. After van Meegeren's exposure in 1947, these works would have been removed from display. To view paintings by artists that van Meegeren forged, visit the Rijksmuseum Vincent van Gogh (Amsterdam) or the Rijksmuseum Kröller-Müller (Otterlo). The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Chicago Art Institute, the Cleveland Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) also hold relevant works. Other museums include the National Gallery (Washington, D.C.) and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
• Where was Han van Meegeren from?+

  Han van Meegeren was Dutch. Born in 1889, he trained as a painter in The Hague, enrolling at the Art Academy in 1913 after abandoning architectural studies. He had an early success, winning a prize for a painting of the Laurenskerk interior in Rotterdam. Despite early demand as a portrait painter, critics dismissed his work as derivative. By the 1920s, van Meegeren turned his attention to forgery. He became adept at creating works in the style of Dutch Old Masters, using materials authentic to the period. In 1945, after the Second World War, van Meegeren was arrested for selling a supposed Vermeer to the German banker Alois Miedl, who then sold it to Hermann Göring. To avoid charges of collaboration with the Nazis, van Meegeren confessed that the painting, Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery, was a forgery. He further admitted to forging several other "Vermeers" and "de Hooghs" that had surfaced since 1937. He even painted another fake Vermeer under police supervision to prove his skill. Though initially charged with collaboration, these charges were dropped. He was then tried for fraud and forgery in 1947, and sentenced to a year in prison, but died before he could serve his sentence.
• Who did Han van Meegeren influence?+

  Han van Meegeren did not so much influence artists as fool experts. He is known for his forgeries of Dutch Golden Age painters, particularly Johannes Vermeer. In 1937, Abraham Bredius, a Dutch art expert, declared van Meegeren's *Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus* to be a genuine Vermeer. Other authorities, including directors from the Mauritshuis, the Haags Gemeentemuseum, and the Boijmans Museum, supported this attribution. Art critics also praised the work. Van Meegeren's *The Last Supper*, which appeared in 1941, was similarly attributed to Vermeer by museum directors from the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and the Rijksmuseum, as well as experts who verified the paint and canvas as being from the seventeenth century. These paintings were purchased for considerable sums by prestigious collections, due to the experts' authentication. *Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus* was bought for 540,000 guilders by the Boijmans Museum, while *The Last Supper* was added to a private collection for 1,600,000 guilders. The scandal exposed the fallibility of art attribution and raised concerns about the Dutch art trade. After van Meegeren's conviction in 1947, some claimed they had always suspected the forgery; however, few had voiced these doubts before his confession.
• Who influenced Han van Meegeren?+

  Han van Meegeren's artistic influences are complex. He is most noted for his forgeries of Dutch Golden Age painters, especially Johannes Vermeer. The art dealer and critic H. P. Bremmer played a role in van Meegeren's early career. Bremmer offered both support and harsh criticism, which some believe contributed to van Meegeren's later resentment towards the art establishment. Beyond Vermeer, van Meegeren also appears to have drawn inspiration from other artists of the period, including Frans Hals and Pieter de Hooch. These painters, like Vermeer, specialised in genre scenes and domestic interiors. Van Meegeren also seems to have looked to artists such as Gerard ter Borch, Gabriel Metsu, and Eglon van der Neer.
• Who was Han van Meegeren?+

  Han van Meegeren (1889-1947) was a Dutch art forger. Although he had some success as a painter, he became notorious for his remarkably convincing imitations of Dutch Golden Age masters, particularly Johannes Vermeer and Pieter de Hooch. Van Meegeren's forgeries fooled prominent art experts and collectors. In 1937, Abraham Bredius, a Vermeer expert, authenticated Van Meegeren's *Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus*. The Boijmans Museum acquired it for a considerable sum. Similarly, experts attributed *The Last Supper*, which appeared in 1941, to Vermeer. After the Second World War, Van Meegeren was arrested for selling a supposed Vermeer, *Christ and the Woman Taken in Adultery*, to Hermann Göring. Trading Dutch cultural heritage with the enemy was considered collaboration, a serious crime. To avoid punishment, Van Meegeren confessed that the painting was a forgery, one of several he had created. As proof, he painted *The Twelve-Year-Old Jesus at the Temple* under supervision. Though the collaboration charge was dropped, Van Meegeren was tried for fraud and forgery in 1947. Experts determined that his paintings contained modern materials, including bakelite. He was sentenced to a year in prison but died shortly after. His forgeries continue to fascinate, one selling at auction in Paris in 1995 for a price far exceeding that of a typical copy.
• Why are Han van Meegeren's works important today?+

  Han van Meegeren's forgeries are important because they exposed the fallibility of art expertise and the potential for deception in the art market. His case raised concerns about the integrity of the Dutch art trade and its international reputation. Van Meegeren confessed in 1945 that several paintings attributed to Vermeer and de Hoogh were his creations. These included Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus, acquired by the Boijmans Museum for 540,000 guilders, and The Last Supper, which Rotterdam harbour baron D.G. van Beuningen added to his private collection for 1,600,000 guilders. These works had been authenticated by leading Dutch art experts, including directors of major museums such as the Mauritshuis, the Haags Gemeentemuseum, the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Rijksmuseum. The revelation that these experts had been fooled, and that prestigious collections had acquired forgeries, caused dismay. The authorities worried about preventing future deceptions. Van Meegeren's ability to convincingly imitate the style and materials of seventeenth-century masters, even painting a "Vermeer" under police supervision, demonstrated the difficulty of distinguishing genuine artworks from fakes. The affair prompted scrutiny of attribution methods and the role of expert opinion in the art world.