Hans van Meegeren

Hans van Meegeren was a Dutch painter and art forger born on October 10, 1889, in Deventer, Netherlands, and died on December 30, 1947, in Amsterdam. Initially trained in the traditional techniques of the Dutch Golden Age, van Meegeren became notorious for his forgeries of works by Johannes Vermeer and other 17th-century masters. His most famous forgery, "Christ and the Disciples at Emmaus," was initially celebrated as a genuine Vermeer, significantly impacting the art world and leading to a reevaluation of authentication practices. Van Meegeren's activities were exposed after World War II, during which he sold a forged Vermeer to Hermann Göring, leading to his arrest and trial. His case highlighted the complexities of art forgery and the challenges of distinguishing authentic works from imitations. Despite his criminal activities, van Meegeren's forgeries are now studied for their technical skill and their role in art history.