Wolfgang Beltracchi: portrait of the artist as a conman
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Until he was exposed by using an incorrect pigment, Wolfgang Beltracchi was the world's most successful art forger. Channel 4 News meets the man whose forgeries are now valuable in their own right.Sign up for Snowmail, your daily preview of what is on Channel 4 News, sent straight to your inbox, here: mailing.channel...
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"I never take titanium white"
BAAAAAM! VOODOO CHILD!
This guy is a genius. He should teach art!
...Wolfgang Beltracchi ..THIS IS MY ART CLASS>...thanks a million.
he is the real master
he is the art
I do!!
The secret he must not speak of is that the art dealers and auction houses knew the truth about his fakes but nevertheless sold them as the real thing.
And nothing has changed since then....
Absolutely
They just might not know about their Beltraccis themselves. Wolfgang is the only one who could identify some paintings as his own. Therefore he is forbidden to visit most public museums as he could claim paintings as his that no one prior felt the need to look into. Or he could claim paintings he did not actually produce but with no way of knowing for sure. This man is a legend.
A true champion of the artist. Revenge on the art establishment who've impoverished so many artists. Its a true art form..Don't wait for some art gallery to add value to your art, the art itself should do that work. If people like it, they buy it..If they're buying it for the wrong reasons they're mere speculators. Some you win, some you lose..
love this guy! He caught them with their own greed!
Amazing Artist!! One of the best in our century...because he faked all...he is the master of all time
He didn't fake anything except signatures. He never reproduced a single painting.
What a fascinating person! I'd love to have one of his paintings hanging in my home.
too expensiv my friend.. he is selling his paintings for over 20k€
Maybe I'm rich like that.
okay then buy one of these, I would it grant you^^
Ok thank you for your permission. I will invite you over to check it out.
Made my day. Genius artist. Great personality.
6:44 - I love how that question asking business suit's ignorrance crumbles after wolfgang speaks about his motivation to produce forgeries, mentioning the word "money". go wolfgang!
they don't give me that money...!!
he needs his own painting show like bob ross XD
Ja mes - 3sat "Der Meisterfälscher", Beltracchi paints german celebrities by copiing styles of old masters...
totally agree.........THIS IS MY ART CLASS>...thanks a million...no make that a billion$.
"method acting on canvass" - brilliant!!!
Wait! What? The art world thought his paintings -- when they *appeared* to be by "recognized" masters -- were great masterpieces ... *until* they discovered that they were forgeries! *The paintings didn't change!* Only their opinion changed. Sounds to me like the only fakes here are the "experts"!
An anecdote to this: For many years the painting "the man with the golden helmet" (c.1650) was admired and visited by thousands in Berlin where it hangs and considered as one of Rembrandt's masterpieces. I was worth 20 million until the late 80s where research showed that it's most probably not painted by him but rather a student in his circle. Thus the painting was rehanged, got a less prominent spot, lost most of it's financial and art historian worth. The painting didn't change. All the books written about it, about its mastery, its beauty, and captivating energy now just "lies".
In the art world it's considered to be very important who did the first artwork of a kind, so a copy will never be as valuable as a piece by the pioneer that came up with an idea. That being said, I can see a lot of artistic appeal in what Beltracchi did. If I had been one of the buyers, I would've definitely kept his painting, precisely because of the twist.
That's my point, the artist that painted these didn't get any where near the prices they get and the auction houses are not giving the money to the family's of the artist so who is the real thief's?
Beltracchi didn't copy. He was filling gaps in the history of different artists. He interpreted paintings which got lost and were never seen before. Only the title and year are known.
The reason why his painting lost worth after the scandal is, that he didn't live in the times and under the circumstances the original artistst were living. The "experts" say that his painings lack in emotional background. For example when he would do a WWI painting, he never experienced this time, so he can't put the pain of this time into the picture.
@@bottomless666 - Spoken like a true "expert".
Beltracchi should write a book called
"So Called Art Experts and Pompous Collectors and Art Dealers I Have Deceived!
LOL Thumbs up to this idea! ;)
I guess he is under contract or some legal obligation (hinted to here in the vid) to further protect the art scene conspiracy.
8:09 min
I wonder if the pompous Englishman realizes that he's in the presence of a great painter... Great painting is to be admired and evoke emotion, if his "forgeries" do that than more power to him. Also I highly doubt that Wolfgang and his wife were the only culprits...they were ones that took the fall. "I'm sure the auction houses knew nothing about the forgeries."
+Nami Sumo bullshit they took commissions and they are thieves like the windlesteins
I think the pompous Englishman is a forgery...he is a pompous Irishman just cracking-on that he is English.
Nami Sumo think you'll find the 'pompous Englishman' is Irish!
@@kenorton5531 He is Irish .Being Irish myself i could tell straight away.I class him as one of our thickest countrymen .
Just doing his job....
I love this guy's arrogance and pride. It's a cool attitude.
Dude's creating his own myth, why the hell not? Seemed kind of suprised at some points by the razor-sharp questions of interview-man.
I love art forgers , they show up the art world for what they are. a load of pretentious fakers & flim flam artists
amennnnnnnnnnnn
What about the people who paid millions for a fake???
Birds if the same feather???
@@sorayaking6477 What about them.They have more money then sense .
@@sorayaking6477 What is fake though, I dont think you realize what art is. It doesnt matter who made it, but it does. It doesnt matter how it was made, but it does. If you in the end payed for it because you liked it you cannot retract the fact that you like what was made. Even if you brought it because you didnt like it, you took notice to it for a reason.
06:44 WOOOW what an incredible journalism here!!! the reporter discovered it was about the money!!! Wooooow so smart!!!!
🤣🤣hha ya
I laughed out loud at I never take titanium white 🤣
"Ya ya of course"
0:42 I see he uses 'Old Holland Oils' paints. Very good oil paint, possibly, though arguably, the best available for sale at the time. But they have been suspected, even accused, of adding small amounts of stronger tinting pigments to other pigment paints of the same colour to make it look as though the paint is more highly pigmented than their rival paint makers. More than once I've read of artists questioning why Old Holland's lead white is a stronger and whiter white than other well thought of paint makers lead whites? On asking those rivals, some have stated that though they can't comment on Old Holland, with their own version of this colour they don't need to add a stabilizer, so theirs is just oil and basic lead carbonate/lead white. So how are Old Holland's whites suspected of being stronger? Titanium white, the very pigment that caught out Beltracchi.
Interesting!! Thank you for the explanation. As Beltracchi said in another interview- he used to make his own paints. But after many years of art forgery, he got a bit sloppy and lazy and bought ready-made paints 😅
I'm sure some of these "experts" who verified the paintings knew they were fake but didnt care. They knew: its a perfect fake, i will buy it for 1million and sell it for 3million and in the end i can say "well it looked real". Over all its a pretty cool story, no one really got hurt... i mean its not good that people look at a fake and dont know it, but when some rich guy pays a couple millions for it is pretty funny actually :D
I'm not sure. He and his wife also invented an elaborate but believable backstory to their paintings.
No one will cry for the hedge fund managers.
exactly. He's more like a hero! Robbing from the rich....
$$.(*that is funny.>!!
Yeah, how dare he steal from the hedge fund managers that steals from everyone
I wouldn't mind having one of his paintings. They are wonderful.
This is conceptual art at its best.
6:40 Well, for this guy, pulling off the successful forgery probably is part of the art.
Dream Logic possibly but I think he just likes tricking ppl and being smarter than them. He’s insanely talented tho
What would you do differently? One sing for sure... I never take titanium white! Brilliant!
interviewer needs to change his tone he’s speaking to a legend
What's with the ridiculous questions
He's incompetent, entertaining ignoramuses.
He does not understand the basic common sense of the tiny world he is reporting about. And he doesn't know what the questions should be, much less how to frame the question.
That Guy is Brilliant. Thats the biggest artist on earth. genius.
'Why pretend to have an artwork?'
'So i can sell the painting for 600000 euro'
Legend.
i LOVE the beltracchis and the confusion they've caused those who DEPEND on pretence... it's unfortunate, that the latter define what's legal and what's not.
(Love the Hendrix.) You are SO talented M. Beltracchi, SO talented. Wish I knew you (as a fledgling oil painter).
Titanium was his Kryptonite.
Guys brilliant. Amazing artist.
THIS IS MY ART CLASS>...thanks a million...no make that a billion$.
Wolfgang Beltracchi, Eric Hebborn and Shaun Greenhalgh are my three favourite artists
Tom Keating too. Greenhalgh wins for me though!!!
Such a cool and gifted guy! Love him
He's not a conman he's a genius🤗🤐🤗😉
It's funny watching the interviewer attempt to shame the man who obviously feels absolutely no shame for what he did. The artist kinda has a right given how so many were in fact deemed original by those who judged them.
I enjoyed this video so much. Brilliant artist.
0:56 "ahhh.. Picasso" lol
Onsen23 haha
too easy for him lol
Why did you not just paint it and say you did it ? 'they dont give me 600,000 euro' Wolfgang answers.
I would have told the guy I have another one in the back room which is real you can have it for a good price.
Why dont they have someone interview him that knows what they are taking about ?
Kate Wild exactly, the pompous Englishman was clueless.
he deserved every penny for his talent.
This guy is fantastic, hes better than all of them put together.
Defiant to the bitter end...getting his piece of heaven the only way he can.
Cool Guy - Fleecing people with more money than sense :)
One thing is sure i never take titanium white , fantastic ,and i am a art buyer and lover
as far as im concerned, he is a great artist
as an artist, Im starting to get annoyed with the interviewer not getting to appreciate how difficult it is to paint...just focusing on the "forgery" and forgetting that he is still talking to an artist...
They wrote other places here in the comments that the reporter is some irish catholic: he wants to have a confession produced!
Should have become popish priest and not art reporter!
LOVE HIS WORK!!
I wonder what he paints when he paints from his authentic self rather than copying another’s style?
He clearly has amazing technique.
Task of the next century: discover all Beltracchis out there hanging on the walls! 😁
He is saying the experts are also forgers by pretending to be experts. Funny
Well done. I love the way the people who interview him are so huffy about his criminality, and how paintings once revealed as Beltracchi's work that sold for hundreds of millions are suddenly second rate !!!!!!!! Speaking as a failed artist this is a laugh a minute...he is my ultimate art hero
Awesome!
Actually the report just indicated a slight anomaly, they still were convinced it was a real Campendonk
The Bonnie & Clyde of the art world. =)
master i want to be your dark apprentice, i will carry on your legacy of fleecing the rich and gullible
well done!
indeed.!
The world's best/most successful forger has NOT been caught, nor ever will be.
that guy asks some stupid questions.
he^s irish, a catholic -he wants to hear a confession ;)
@@Io-Io-Io Good one ;-) He gives us Irish a bad name ,except he pretends to be English.In reality he is a thick Paddy if i say so myself .
well-known art forger Wolfgang Beltracchi ...This guy is a genius. He should teach art! ...for me...your videos...Wolfgang Beltracchi ..THIS IS MY ART CLASS>...thanks a million...no make that a billion$.
All those poor artlovers, that admired the „real“ paintings. Then they found out that they are not real and suddenly the paintings became medicore, even bad. Poor artlovers.
The effin art scene!
Irony here is, that in a few years from now all the owners of the many Beltracchi "forgeries" around the globe would love to invite Wolfgang Beltracchi to witness and certify there piece of art as of his origin ... because it will make their property even more precious ... ;-)
I disagree with the comment below of clrscr. When you reach the level in your career to be considered an "expert" it didn't happen overnight. In the world of fine art these "experts" are usually scholars who have spent many decades studying the artist, teaching about the artist, curators of galleries, and so on... I seriously doubt that a person who has dedicated most of their life to be considered as an authority on art or certain artist would risk their life's work to authenticate a bogus painting. So for an "expert" to turn a blind eye to a forgery is highly unlikely. If you were to go around and authenticate obvious forgeries then you would no longer be an authority on anything in the art world
he is a genius artist with a banker's mentality. i think the people in the art world are the true con artists. he just recognized it and made money from it. but he is brilliant.
9:11 wheres the thug life sign after this 😁
a problem with the art world, you wait for the greats to die before you realize they're great. Celebrate this great artist.. now.
He is the man. OOOOHHH poor rich people, lol.
icon, legend, he is the moment.
He is a true master of life and art. Je'taime.
Almost all forged pictures belong to hedge funds who purchased them out of need for new sources of long term investments. Very few private collectors. Some did not even sued. He was sued for 14 pictured.
In the meantime he was released. His crimes are not the painting but forging the signatures. These crimes are now barred. He admitted to 300+ forged paintings and that many hang in public galleries.
8:09 and he is obliged to protect the fraudster system!
I like this guy!!
wolfgang - I prefer your work to the originals u manky old bugga - u've inspired me to start forging myself. I am working on a rothko - I will keep you informed of developments
How it's going on
I LOVE THIS GUY
Još nisam video tako uspešnog "falsifikatora". Prosto je neshvatljivo kako menja stilove i imitira bilo kog slikara na svetu. Genijalno!! Voleo bih da i ja imam portret svoje žene naslikan od szrane gospodina Boltrakija!! Pravi umetnik, čestitam mu odd sveg srca.
they should make a movie about him
Actually there is one.
so these fools bought a painting, called it brilliant and amazing and gave it a massive pricetag and then proceeded to complain after being told some random dude did it.. that means the only value found was not in the quality of the painting, but the name behind it. that is NOT art. art quality is based on just that, the arts quality. fact is these people genuinely thought his painting was better then the masters, meaning artistically his work should be just as valuable. anything else is an insult to art and an admission of your petty and flawed opinions about art.
A true artist
3:09 so good
making a great forgery is dam hard--i tried it in the 1970s--so much research and time involved --ugh---
0:55 i love it, really love it 😂
A lot of people r missing the point that handling the paint is not the genius part. Its the personal expression which viewers see as ‘style’. He expresses nothing through art. To say he does would b to say we could all copy a Beatles song & b great song writers. It doesnt work like that. Anyone can learn how to paint, its the what & how u choose to express urself that is personal & if many agree, genius.
So, maybe Beltracchi was simply a "student" of Kampendonk and so on.
Aren't there many paintings of the old done mainly by the students back then? By the masters "workshop" done.
Him simply being a way more remote "student"? 😂
It’s cool that he was allowed to leave prison during daytime to paint. That made it possibly for him to earn a lot of money to pay off the people he had betrayed. Because of all the publicity of the case his own paintings are now pretty expensive
How romantic
he is genius, but his english is shocking I think you get a bit wrong view of him. In german he is a bit arrogant, but not as in this clip. he have done bad things but i think otherwise he wouldn't get that good. Because he have to be perfect he have to be sneaky, smart and very good. Now he is a great artist and is good that he don't have to stay in gail for ever. Otherwise we would lose a great painter.
ok cool
Steve Martin should have kept it!! It's either wonderful or it isn't. . . He's a fool not too
He works as a make-believer (actor)... He should!
He should have used Zinc white
he did but the white had 2% titanium white in it what wasnt listed on the tube
The art materials manufacturers are a bunch of crooks as well
Great artist, also he looks like Rembrandt/Van Dyck :))
Very nice to see how the Americans or English or English-speaking people deal with its history much more loosely than the Germans. In Germany he is often insulted and not respected at all.
Genius looked down upon in our modern day world.
Mores the point, in trying to play a game of outdoing buyers and experts he’s conned himself out of his own creative and unique expression on canvas. Did he ever have it?
i love him
Great " fakes " , are still great works of are. Sometimes better them the " originals ".
Id be curious to know how far he got financially before he was stung. A daft question by the reporter, such a daft question, because he wanted to make lots of money obviously.
What a LEGEND!
Bonnie and Clyde of the Art
Wolfgang and his wife Helene Beltracchi sold the paintings out of a fictitious collection of Alfred Flechtheim with Otto Schulte-Kellinghaus selling them on the art market. Alfred Flechtheim fled Nazi Gernmany in 1938 and left behind numerous paintings.........................Wolfgang Beltracchi: portrait of the artist as a conman