CON/ARTIST

A successful, prolific art forger tells his remarkable story.

As a forger, Tetro made a fortune by making and selling fake works, and his memoir, co-authored by journalist Ambrosi, explains his spectacular rise and dramatic fall. Though he showed artistic flair at an early age, his attempts to sell his original paintings went nowhere—not due to a lack of quality but because he was an unknown figure. He fell into forgery by accident and found there was good money in the business even though a lot of it went to dealers. Tetro realized that the best plan was not to copy paintings by famous artists but to emulate their style and then make up a story about how the piece had been found in a dusty attic or forgotten collection. A key part of the forgery process was the creation of fake certificates of authenticity and other paperwork. He learned how to make a painting look pleasingly aged and which artists were the bestsellers. Chagall, Dalí, and Miró were fairly easy. Picasso and Caravaggio were more difficult, but Tetro eventually worked out their methods. He even forged a Ferrari car. He was proud of his achievements, but eventually, the authorities closed in. Though he was convicted on a variety of charges, he was given probation and community service, which involved creating safety posters and painting neighborhood murals. It was a long way down, but he eventually managed to recover, finding some recognition as a painter of acknowledged fakes. The irony is not lost on him, and he has amusing things to say about people who have too much money and not enough sense. He also notes that forgery is a dying art, as the verification technology has become too sophisticated to fool. Tetro tells his rollicking story well, and the result is a unique narrative.

An entertaining account that shines a light onto a shady world as well as a personal story of hubris and redemption.