Fake paintings for real money

Just spotted this profile of Christophe Petyt in the Telegraph. Petyt offers high quality reproductions of paintings by famous artists; I haven't seen any myself, so will reserve judgement on issues of quality. Interestingly enough, it's apparently all perfectly legal under French (and European Community) law:

. . . as the law now stands, the works - and signatures - of any artist who has been dead for 70 years can be freely copied. The main proviso is that the copy cannot be "passed off" as the real thing.

One thing that should be pointed out is that fakes or reproductions or whatever you wish to call them have a tendency to age badly. Not necessarily due to deterioration of the materials used, although that can certainly be a problem, but because each moment has both a unique "look" and a corresponding blind spot that largely prevents self-recognition of that look. Van Meegeren's fake Vermeers were enthusiastically received in the 1930s and '40s, but now appear very much products of the 20th century, not the 17th. Similarly, many "medieval" ivory carvings that fooled scholars and connoisseurs of the 19th century are now betrayed by their decidedly Victorian aesthetic -- obvious now, invisible through omnipresence then. And if you want an example closer to everyday life, consider fashion: drag out some old pictures of yourself wearing the most cringe-inducing outfits and hairstyles, and ask yourself if you saw then what you see now. . .

Posted by David on July 7, 2003 11:18 AM