Wolfgang Beltracchi
German art forger and artist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Wolfgang Beltracchi (born Wolfgang Fischer on 4 February 1951) is a German art forger and visual artist[1] who has admitted to forging hundreds of paintings in an international art scam netting millions of euros. Beltracchi, together with his wife Helene, sold forgeries of alleged works by famous artists, including Max Ernst, Heinrich Campendonk, Fernand Léger, and Kees van Dongen. Though he was found guilty for forging 14 works of art that sold for a combined $45m (£28.6m), he claims to have faked "about 50" artists.[2] The total estimated profits Beltracchi made from his forgeries surpasses $100m.[3]
Wolfgang Beltracchi | |
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Born | Wolfgang Fischer (1951-02-04) 4 February 1951 (age 73) Höxter, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany |
Years active | 1965–2010 |
Known for | Art forger |
Spouse |
Helene Beltracchi (m. 1993) |
In 2011, after a 40-day trial, Beltracchi was found guilty and sentenced to six years in a German prison.[1][4][5][6][7][8] His wife, Helene, was given a four-year sentence, and both were ordered to pay millions in restitution. Beltracchi was freed on 9 January 2015, having served just over three years in prison.[9]