Art Fraud: 50 Fakes That Fooled the Art World

by Susie Hodge

Step inside the astonishing world of art forgery, where masterpieces are faked, fortunes are made, and almost no one is who they seem. Art Fraud reveals the true stories behind some of the greatest scams in art history, where con artists forged their way to fame, fortune or infamy. 

Discover the motivations and methods of master forgers, from Eric Hebborn’s faked Old masters to Han van Meegeren’s deception of the Nazis. Meet eccentric copyists, bitter experts, and insiders who turned against the institutions they once admired. Each chapter tells the story of a different forger, weaving in the investigations that finally unmasked them and the secrets they left behind. 

Written by bestselling author and art historian Susie Hodge, this is a fascinating, brilliantly researched collection that blurs the line between genius and fraud. Whether you are an art lover, a true crime reader or simply curious about how the art world really works, this book is full of twists, scandals and unforgettable characters.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

303 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 7, 2025

Reviews

[Tabish Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know about most of these art frauds, and most of them are from the last 100 years. Susie Hodge does a great job of covering each in a few pages so we get to know about the audacity, the confusion and the eventual reveal ... though some of these trails may take many more years to uncover.

[Fransoun · Rating 1 out of 5]

"There have been no known female art forgers."

I am no art scholar - indeed, that is one of the reasons I picked up this book - but given the length and breadth of human history, this statement certainly seemed unlikely, and a cursory search proved it to be untrue.

"The so-called Picasso paintings, one being a copy of Luncheon on the Grass, After Manet (1961), were actually painted by Kirsha Kaechele, an artist, curator, and the wife of Mona’s millionaire owner, David Walsh.
[...]
The museum previously claimed Kaechele inherited the paintings from her great-grandmother, who she said had been a lover of Picasso’s and holidayed with him."

- Fake Picassos: Mona admits Ladies Lounge paintings were forged by Kirsha Kaechele (https://www.theguardian.com/artanddes...)

The article was written in 2024. This book was published in 2025.

[Tania · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Art fraud is rife. Many experts believe that as much as 50 percent of all art in the market today is forgery.”

Art forgerTom Keating’s various types of imitation:
A copy is an exact duplicate.
A repainting is the result of careless restoration
A pastiche is a variant of an existing painting
A fake is a modified pastiche
A forgery is a fake with another artist’s signature added and false provenance provided.

I’ve read other books by this author and just like her previous work, this is utterly fascinating!

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting and fairly quick read, with fascinating stories of modern-day forgers in the art world, as well as the dealers and the massive amounts of money flowing around the fine art market that make this kind of fraud lucrative. I especially enjoyed seeing the photos of original artworks and fakes side by side. The writing wasn’t the best and the editing seemed a bit sloppy, but I enjoyed the book overall.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and easy read that breezes through more than a dozen forgers. Based on a very rough approximation of the number of fakes mentioned in the book there must be more than 10000 works at least in circulation that are not genuine. It really does undermine what hangs on gallery walls and what is considered worthy.

[Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually pretty interesting. Not every story was riveting, lol, but I enjoyed it.

[Ariana Wilroy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars ⭐️ it was an entertaining read!