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A listener note, this episode contains adult content and is not suitable for everyone.

Please be advised. The life of a painter is not an easy path, especially when art critics are less than

enthusiastic about your work.

In the late 1920s, Dutch artist Han Van Meagrin

found this out the hard way when critics praised his technical talents but found his work lacking originality.

This infuriated Han. He wanted to humiliate those that had criticized his work.

He sought to embarrass them by creating forgeries of famous painters and selling them to the highest bidder.

And there was speculation in the art world

that a number of his works were yet to be found.

This made it very easy for Han to deceive others with his fakes.

After six years of developing forgery techniques, even down to the brush he used,

Han became very wealthy selling his vermears.

He sold to private collectors and museums. His proceeds

totaled in today's world 25 to 30 million dollars.

But during World War II, one of Hans forgeries fell into the hands of a high-ranking Nazi

who hit it in a salt mine with $,750 pieces of other artwork that had been stolen by the Nazis.

When Allies found the mine and Hans' painting, they immediately arrested him for aiding and abetting

Nazi criminals, a crime punishable by death.

To prove his innocence, Han was forced to admit to another crime.

Forgery.

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