Thefts deprive the public of the opportunity to view important works of art. Because they insert false information into the historical ‘record,’ fakes and forgeries ‘corrupt’ that record. How can such behavior be prevented? Detected? Punished? This course will examine, among others, the 1990 theft at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston – the largest art heist in history. As to fakes and forgeries, two cases will be considered. The first roiled the New York art market around 2013. The second involved a Dutch painter who, during World War II, created fakes of paintings by Johannes Vermeer. A dramatic trial would determine whether the forger was just that – or whether he collaborated with the Nazis.
This course is part of the Senior Scholars Program.