..jonathanlopez.net
Fakery Behind Closed Doors -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>De Groene Amsterdammer, August 29, 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Han van Meegeren was not a misunderstood genius; he was a forger down to the bone. He was also a Nazi sympathizer and collaborator. As the historian Jonathan Lopez--whose new biography of Van Meegeren has just appeared in America--explains, this too went hand in hand with Van Meegeren's career in fraud. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article > >>>>>>>>>>>>>(Subscription site; article in Dutch)
The Master Forger and the Fascist Dream -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>De Groene Amsterdammer, September 29, 2006 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The famed art forger Han van Meegeren found Nazism quite appealing. He made paintings for the occupation government and proudly dedi- cated these works to Hitler at public exhi- bitions. Deceit, wrath, and treachery were like second nature... >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The American historian Jonathan Lopez is working on a biography of Han van Meegeren. In the course of his research, Lopez has discovered large numbers of previously un- known documents that cast a revealing light on Van Meegeren's personality, on his work as an artist and forger, and on his relation- ships--for instance, with prominent members of the Liberal State Party, one of whom, Gerard A. Boon was duped into acting as a strawman for Van Meegeren in the sale of for- geries. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The notorious investigation into Van Meege- ren's wartime collaboration--part of the complex and disorderly postwar purge pro- cess--has always been surrounded by riddles. The central question was to what extent Van Meegeren really embraced Nazi ideology. In the article below, Lopez reveals that Van Meegeren's sympathies were far browner than has generally been assumed. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>(Subscription site; article in Dutch)
'Going Dutch' Offers an Elegant and Thought-Provoking Look at Relations Between England and the Netherlands -- >>>>>>>> >Reviewed by Jonathan Lopez for the Associated Press >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>September 26, 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In November 1688, Prince William of Orange, the elected leader of the Dutch republic, set sail from the port of Hellevoetsluis in command of a 450-ship invasion fleet bound for England... >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article >
The Met After Montebello -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Apollo, October 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Philippe de Montebello, director of the Metropolitan Museum, New York, since 1977, retires at the end of this year. As the museum prepares to mark the event with an exhibition of acquisitions made over the last 31 years, Jonathan Lopez assesses the de Montebello legacy and considers the museum's future under its newly appointed director, Thomas P. Campbell. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article >
A Skilful Charmer -- Apollo, March 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>> At the Rijksmuseum, the first monographic exhibition ever devoted to Karel du Jardin reveals a versatile painter with a taste for the good life, writes Jonathan Lopez. >>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> (free registration required) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Gross False Pretences: The Misdeeds of Art Dealer Leo Nardus -- Apollo, December 2007 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Several of the greatest collectors of Old Master paintings in turn-of-the-century America were sold fakes or wildly misattrib- uted works by Leo Nardus. Drawing on newly discovered documents, Jonathan Lopez explains how Nardus was exposed and discusses the impact of his chicanery on the art market. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>(free registration required)
'Unholy Business' Spins a Good Yarn about Faith, Fraud, and Forgery -- >>>>>>>> >>Reviewed by Jonathan Lopez for the Associated Press >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>er November 6, 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> In November 2002, an article in The Biblical Archaeology Review heralded the discovery of an ancient Judean ossuary — a limestone box intended for the storage of human remains. The story was immediately picked up by CNN, ABC and many of the world's major newspapers. Attention of that kind is quite rare in the sleepy precincts of archaeology, but this was no ordinary ossuary... >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article >
| ... |
Article Archive
Impersonator of Noel Coward, Humphrey Bogart, others comes clean in memoir about her forgeries -- >>>>>Reviewed by Jonathan Lopez for the Associated Press, >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>July 31, 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> "She is a a bright, talented actress," Noel Coward once wrote of Julie Andrews, "and quite attractive since she dealt with her monstrous English overbite."
Pure Coward — except that it isn't. Banged out on an old Olympia typewriter in 1991, this quote was invented by Lee Israel, the screwball literary forger of Manhattan's Upper West Side. During an improbable crime spree lasting approximately 18 months, Israel impersonated... >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article >
Van Meegeren's Early Vermeers -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Apollo, July-August 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jonathan Lopez reveals that three 1920s fake Vermeers are by the notorious forger Han van Meegeren, who, far from being an independent operator, was part of a slick operation of organised art fraud. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>Read this article > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>(free registration required)
National Treasure -- Apollo, June 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Revered in his native Spain, Antonio Lopez Garcia is little known outside it. An exhi- bition in Boston could change that, writes Jonathan Lopez. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>Read this article > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>(free registration required)
Protestant Virtues -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Apollo, January 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> To mark the publication of a catalogue of its Dutch paintings, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is showing its entire collection, writes Jonathan Lopez. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>(free registration required)
Art in an Age of Ease -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Apollo, September 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> An exhibition organised by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and now at the Nasher Museum of Art, makes a bold and persuasive case for the artistic achievements of the neglected reign of Philip III of Spain, writes Jonathan Lopez. >>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article >
Van Meegeren's Early Vermeers -- >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Apollo, July-August 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jonathan Lopez reveals that three 1920s fake Vermeers are by the notorious forger Han van Meegeren, who, far from being an independent operator, was part of a slick operation of organised art fraud. >>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>Read this article > >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>(free registration required)
A Forger's Masterpieces -- >>>>>>>>>>by Jonathan Lopez (International Herald Tribune) >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>August 11, 2008 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Smart, knowledgeable people can sometimes be taken in by attractively packaged products of little inherent value. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Read this article >