How Art Forgery Actually Works | How Crime Works

[@HaHaBIah]

"I did forgeries in prison." Absolute legend.

[@EmEm78]

My favourite part of this whole story :)

[@professortriplextralarge5]

Allegedly

[@jaybonny1954]

Hardest part of the story

[@JustPlayItLoud]

Art forgery is 100% the classiest crime.

[@kaleidoscope_adventures]

It exposes the snobbery of the art world which is a real gift

[@loovecraft]

I'd wager it's still art, an expression of ones will to make a living

[@gabrielmasca6488]

@@kaleidoscope_adventures t

[@TokyoXtreme]

The money launderers running the art world must really strain themselves to pretend they care about forgery.

[@connor107]

There's an American forger that now sells imitation versions of the artists that he used to forge, 100% the strangest crime

[@thejoanamendes]

The fact this man was making coin even in prison. Talent is talent.

[@johnstrawb3521]

Yeah. Fck capitalism.

[@brandon-alcocer]

@@johnstrawb3521 this is literally the definition of capitalism. Even in prison, extreme regulation, markets form

[@sylliebee]

I worked as an art handler for a couple years. I can tell you from experience (and some fallout from a scandal my company just barely avoided being caught up in), you can ABSOLUTELY still sell forgeries.

[@dundeedideley1773]

Beltracchi - a Netflix doc about a forger

[@mikemikelson8767]

Just as I thought. If you cant, then why there are articles about forged paintings in the press from time to time? And forgery still can work out as a replacement for real art in some sort of criminal scheme. Not a specialist myself, but as far as I know not every painting or picture goes trough complicated autentification, because it costs money.

[@mwater_moon2865]

@@mikemikelson8767 Yeah, no, a full on spectrum analyzed, dating authentication is very rarely done, it's expensive AND it's destructive, you have to chip off a bit of paint to test, cut a chunk of canvas, and cut a bit of wood from the stretcher. And x-ray which would show up the old image beneath it is expensive and difficult. BUT what IS cheap and easy and will show up instantly, is black light. Oil pants have florescence, BUT it fades as it ages, enough so that you can tell retouching from 20 years ago vs 70 years ago. And if an "old painting" is completely uniform, with no conservation it will still have a very different florescence from one done in the last 100 years. also, if paint is "cracking" but there's no chips or flakes esp at the edges where a painting rubs in the frame as heat and humidity cause it to stretch and shrink and wiggle that's going to be suspect. Honestly, there are hundreds of tells for modern forgeries; what's FAR harder is the stuff that was a copy of a 1450 work that was made in 1650, or trying to figure out if a given painting was ACTually done by a famous artist or if they signed a student's painting, or if it was an antique forgery or even a copy since then there was no such thing as a photograph, and if I wanted to preserve say a wedding picture of my grandparents, that meant painting a copy of the original painting. THAT'S what the heavy duty stuff is for.

[@ashleighzee1611]

@@mwater_moon2865 Insider should do an interview with you :-)

[@mwater_moon2865]

@@ashleighzee1611 If that sort of stuff floats your boat, check out Baumgartner Restoration. He's a conservator and documented the more intensive version recently with a painting in a series called the The Italian Job

[@PichuMoreno]

I am gonna say that as a person that do props as a job, I really appreciate that initial tutorial

[@samhouston2000]

TUTORIAL.. LMFAO.. 😁😁😁😁

[@googiegress]

Yes weathering tips are always welcome

[@paulgreenwood69]

I hugely respect this guy for the wrong reasons.

[@Iceglorp]

What are those reasons?

[@paulgreenwood69]

@@Iceglorp I’m respecting his criminal forgery. Sort of inspires me as an artist.

[@onemorechris]

i do quite enjoy his attitude and approach, lol

[@Iceglorp]

@@paulgreenwood69 oh ok

[@michaelangelocanete2506]

q aa#@@

[@smalltowndowntown9199]

I bet his forgeries will be worth some money some day. It’s an art in and of itself.

[@marianparker-reed8460]

He current works are still very reasonably priced. They too I think will command a higher value in years to come!

[@ikrammuanwar1070]

. .

[@jcarter7731]

Yea in some ways theres actually more to it than the original

[@jasonator69er]

Bullshit. Any artist can forge a painting if he knows how to. It’s just copying it off someone else’s. Painting physically ain’t hard.

[@zachmunna7228]

imagine someone forges his forgeries

[@lfsantosl]

“To me, it was just survival “ what an impactful statement. ✊🏼

[@kevind3974]

No reason to lie when everyone is dead and the way of crime is so out of date it can not be replicated. Dude outlived his own criminal lifestyle

[@KW-md1bq]

Max, I just checked....mate, your artwork is stunning. You are an absolutely fantastic artist. I hope you don't feel an ounce of remorse, coming from nothing. Well done, son.

[@a_lucientes]

He doesn't. andhe shouldnt - This comment from above is the best one: " Here you got a guy who grew up so poor they take him away from his family. At the same time you got people who can afford to hang 40, 50, $60,000 up on the wall. You asked him if he felt remorse. I'm still trying to figure out who's the criminal and what was the crime. "

[@sanfordgray5699]

I could listen to this guy tell stories for hours. His voice is a pleasure to hear.

[@a.garland5003]

Hi Stanford , Max has a book about his life

[@brownstonecustomcabinetry5309]

Here you got a guy who grew up so poor they take him away from his family. At the same time you got people who can afford to hang 40, 50, $60,000 up on the wall. You asked him if he felt remorse. I'm still trying to figure out who's the criminal and what was the crime.

[@wiredweird4953]

aint a crime if someone's rich & can afford things

[@CHI-Town_WhiteBread]

It's NOT a crime if the value is in the eye of the beholder.

[@etienneamien]

@@wiredweird4953 many rich people don’t get rich lawfully : they almost all avoid taxes and do get rich by tricking or abusing many people. That’s how it works unfortunately. I am not talking about wealthy people who made it with their own factory hiring local workers but about multi millionaires and billionaires who don’t care.

[@The_CIA]

*Me: (looks nervously over at old painting my father bought in the late 60's...)*

[@marianparker-reed8460]

Well you never know but Max would know IF it was one of his

[@99thehighstreet69]

So funny.laughing here like a drain.

[@tomlxyz]

I'll call the police. Wait, you're the CIA? *confused screaming*

[@davidpalk5010]

What a lovely, honest, down to earth chap. Max is a true artist, with the brilliant deception being the actual artform. He and his accomplice showed how false and shallow the art world is. His "crimes" were victimless. The people who bought his paintings were victims of their own greed and stupidity. No piece of old canvas is ever actually worth vast sums of money. I truly hope that the art forging industry is alive and well today.

[@joeambly6807]

your just a bitter grape

[@zweisser]

you've had organized crime members on here and you have the gall to ask this guy if he feels remorse. it's literally ripping rich assholes off, good for him. (and making art historians' jobs a bit more difficult but, hey, they could use the excitement)

[@zenleek2129]

Still wrong though

[@Whole-Milk]

@@zenleek2129 nah, eat the rich

[@jessicawalton4690]

@@Whole-Milk you wouldn’t be saying that if you were rich

[@Whole-Milk]

@@jessicawalton4690 My family is loaded beyond what a lot of people can imagine but I get this assumption all the time. My ancestors hoarded their wealth and we inherited it without earning it. You know where that money goes? We pay full taxes and refuse using unfair loopholes to breaks. We work with organizations that help anyone who needs it. Organizations that pay off medical bills so that families don’t go into financial ruin because they got sick. Paying full college tuitions so newly graduated students can build their lives and save for a future instead of spending decades paying back student loans. Community programs that foster caring and empathy for your neighbors. Even a program that covers all pet expenses (food, vets, etc) for those who want them and can take care of them but can’t afford it. This means families don’t have to give up their furry family members due to financial hardship and someone who would benefit greatly from having one can. It keeps animals out of already overcrowded shelters. My fathers employees are paid above living wage, and every single one of them has paid family leave, paid sick leave whenever they’re sick, paid vacation leave, full coverage health insurance, full daycare coverage for those that want or need it. Things that foster and build long term stability while also helping people at the same time. He lobbies for higher taxes for the rich and fights for teachers unions because those people are teaching our children who will inherit this country one day. He came to the US from Denmark and hella socialist. aka redistribute wealth and eat the rich

[@felix.mp3639]

@@Whole-Milk My faith in humanity is restored

[@leozeldordulaw5489]

You cannot erase the fact that that guy is a freaking genius!!

[@abderrahimbenmoussa4359]

Honestly I don't blame artists with enough talent and that work hard to get to a level where they can defraud people that have enough money to buy pricy art pieces. Seen a story about a fake wine maker with extraordinary ability to recognize tastes and smell who fakes very costly wines. They also give work to art specialists same way cyber criminals give work to cyber security. I was more impressed by his talent than disgusted by his fraud. However nowadays you don't have to forge. Just call anything a modern piece and find gullible rich people and sell them "a concept".

[@dwvcollection]

selling "concepts" is the basis for NFTs lmao

[@saoirsedeltufo7436]

Wine pricing is a scam anyway, don't blame that wine maker

[@philipminns3933]

I think the wine guy's name is Bernard Black. Amazing thing is that that's not even his main job - he owns a bookshop for a living.

[@sasakhalisa6539]

@@philipminns3933 on a serious note, the actual wine faker name is Rudy Kurniawan

[@deusvult6920]

Stealing is stealing. It doesn't matter if it's from a bum or a billionaire.

[@daisybloom4495]

He’s clearly very articulate and has a high IQ, his craft was one of great knowledge!!! He certainly shafted many a parvenu.

[@denisfoley8500]

I know max and I can assure you all hes an amazing man .this video only talks about his crimes but his actual real life story is leading up to his painting was amazing ,hes very funny hes very approachable and has time for all .I hope that one day when you read his book which is awaiting publish will make you cry but laugh the most .I'm proud to be his freind we all have skeletons in our cupboards ,but this guy isnt afraid of the truth .His mum who he loved dearly was a beautifull big hearted woman who would give you her last .Times were hard in those days but yes hes a fabulous survivor of a very hard era ,and his storys are all true .Max Keep up the good work.but let's get your book published and get those storys out there .your freind Heather xx

[@K100-b3e]

Appreciate this! Maybe you can tell him he’s being shown a lot of love on the Internet! Maybe he can start art tutorials or just paining videos on KZbin too! Much love!!

[@joeambly6807]

max is that you? :)

[@Irishcome1st]

What a brilliant name- MAX BRANDRETT He should have had his name in lights as a distinguished artist himself!

[@gothnate]

I don't understand why he was arrested for forgery when he was making original art and using a pen-name. From the sound of it, the experts were the dumb ones for assuming they knew what it was. Then again, he got money from the real crooks. The launderers and swindlers. All because he made the paintings look old and sold his originals.

[@hav6301]

because of the fake date probs

[@Maple-Sizzurp]

It's more like fraud than forgery imo. Art Deception is more like it

[@texastuna]

"Max tells us he forged over 500 paintings of artists such as Samuel Palmer and Louis Wain which sold in bespoke auctions and galleries making him over $600,000."

[@kirstymca]

No, I think he was faking real artists, but put them in with a bunch of ones by made-up artists, so it would be more convincing that they didn't know anytghing about real artists.

[@johnblaze8774]

Nowadays you don't have to forge paintings. Just upload any crap as an NFT

[@dwvcollection]

worse than forgeries, those are.

[@hanniffydinn6019]

Yeah, but who are the idiots who pay for them? 🤡🤡🤡🌍🌍🌍

[@celine7557]

@@hanniffydinn6019 men mostly who think it will make them more rich 💀

[@Qermaq]

This guy's such an expert forger, this video was originally a very bad one about tree frogs.

[@salvagemonster3612]

It was

[@EmEm78]

Okay, that made me chuckle

[@Prolific_Troll]

Always cracks me up when I have to read the subtitles to understand someone speaking English.

[@anthonyvalentine4009]

The biography MAX BRANDRETT - BRITAIN'S NUMBER ONE ART FORGER (Tales of a Cheeky Faker) is written and waiting finalization from publishers.

[@georginatoland]

I hope they make a movie of it starring Michael Caine in the lead.

[@Leo-sd3jt]

@@georginatoland he's retired from acting so his presence will need to be forged.

[@EmEm78]

Awesome, I'd love a movie about his life too.

[@nitej_]

THANK YOU, I was looking for a tutorial on this for a very long time and couldn't find it anywhere

[@Auriflamme]

Those techniques don't really work these days, unless you're hitting very small auction houses or buyers who don't have the knowledge or resources to spot them. In this case it becomes ethically much more murky since you'd be hitting people who can't afford to just absorb losses from this kind of crime. Now if you plan to make ethical fakes and sell them to people who know this, then it's no big deal.

[@nitej_]

@@Auriflamme it was a joke my dude😆

[@TokyoXtreme]

Let’s forge some NFTs and sell them at auction.

[@valmarsiglia]

They just cut the poor guy off at the end, show some respect.

[@Maple-Sizzurp]

Yeah that's actually pretty frustrating! Let the man plug his book

[@marianparker-reed8460]

Editing was crap

[@ZEFFENWULF]

@@marianparker-reed8460 indeed it is, they cut him mid sentence at least twice before the end. Editor must have been half asleep

[@eustache_dauger]

The devil really is in the details ain't it? Impressive

[@PutItAway101]

Check out the old documentary "F for Fake" for an interesting discussion of the question - if someone fakes a painting, and the "expert" can't identify it, then isn't the expert also fake?

[@kefkaZZZ]

I forgot about that one! The answer is yes, yes it does.

[@TheArrivalProductions]

This is where Redd gets all his artwork

[@drewm3807]

If I were a Hollywood director, I'd want to hire this man to help with the prop paintings.

[@Moto_Medics]

Absolute legend I love hearing stories of peoples good ole days runnin and gunnin

[@martinabrandrett6062]

Well done Dad xx

[@skzanarchist]

Evil Bob Ross be like:

[@samsonsoturian6013]

Hmm. You're more likely to get rich forging art than you are creating original pieces.

[@frankiezim813]

And you don't have to wait centuries to cash in either

[@DC9848]

What an absolute legend, deserves a Netflix movie, he does

[@chrisgenovese8188]

Artist, social engineer, con man, ex con, legend.

[@antonomaseapophasis5142]

I wish I had his talent. In the renaissance he could have been part of an artist's botteghe.

[@BidM142]

“People believe what they want to believe, because the guy who made this was so good that it’s real to everybody. Now who’s they master? The painter, or the forger?”

[@jackbrowning8013]

I love Max! Great artist in his own right, and an amazing story.

[@BaronVonQuiply]

I'm reminded of the trouble with identifying ancient Greek statues today, as the Romans were big fans and forgers... and are also ancient. When a forgery gets old enough, it's still a fake, but now it's a genuine antique as well.

[@dom2326]

Now, who's the real artist? I lowkey wish to have this guy as a family member who I always go to or talk to during family gatherings.

[@isatousarr7044]

Art forgery and trafficking have a profound impact on our cultural heritage, turning priceless artifacts into commodities that are bought and sold rather than preserved. This illicit trade not only threatens the integrity of artistic traditions but also risks erasing entire narratives and cultures. In some cases, the trafficking of cultural artifacts is linked to other illegal activities such as human trafficking and modern-day slavery, as these networks often operate in tandem. When artifacts are stolen or forged, they become a new form of data theft, stripping communities of their historical identity and indigenous rights. How can we strengthen international efforts to combat art forgery and trafficking to ensure the protection and preservation of cultural heritage for future generations?

[@DanielMartins-og2gj]

Such PRECISION AND DETAIL. You have too be an artist to forge 🎨 Art!

[@MartinhoRamos1990]

This lad's an artist on my book

[@sanfordgray5699]

By the way "'F' For Fake" Directed by: Orson Welles is great to watch.

[@marianahernandez4679]

One of my faves! Wish I could watch it again for the first time

[@xochi]

Now we know Redd‘s evil ways

[@Goxilla]

"I´m sure some paintings of my art collection are fake but I acutally don´t really want to know about it" - Gloria, Princess of Thurn and Taxis

[@migueldoliveiracomposer]

This is pure gold.

[@littlejuicebox]

I kind of want to learn how to age the paintings, it's so interesting it's probably its own art form

[@pappy374]

"You interested in a big time caper?" - Audrey Hepburn in the art forgery movie How To Steal A Million.

[@slicedbread5692]

The guys that do this type of work are extremely talented. Arguably more talented than "real artists"

[@andrechris-sargent9921]

:thonk:

[@HT-pl8du]

More scientific, debatably less artistic

[@slicedbread5692]

@@HT-pl8du idk about that. To be able to mimic multiple different styles takes a lot of artistic talent... But I know what you mean about being scientific.

[@Anikthias]

Different types of talents, equally impressive. A yin and yang of sorts

[@fealca1622]

​@@slicedbread5692Because it's just a technical imitation. If he invented his own style and painted that, it would have artistic value. He's talented technically, but not necessarily artistically.

[@mistyaqua]

I cannot wait to read the book!

[@anthonyvalentine4009]

Alice... The biography MAX BRANDRETT - BRITAIN'S NUMBER ONE ART FORGER (Tales of a Cheeky Faker) is written and waiting finalization from publishers.

[@OpenRoader]

How many of his paintings are still on display someplace as the originals. Awesome story

[@notpurrfect6397]

Love this guy! I suspect there's a lot more to his life story. I'm buying his book.

[@paulgreenwood69]

His forgeries are more interesting than the originals. Imagine inviting him over to your house as a dinner guest. Would be fascinating talking to him over a glass of Port. Up there with Quentin Crisp.

[@davidkglevi]

Never knew Michael Caine did art forgery.

[@Dayvit78]

That's Michael Caine's brother, Yorko Caine.

[@6thwilbury2331]

Disappointed. When I saw the thumbnail, I thought it would be Al Pacino doing an impression of Johnny Cash.

[@giannisleontsinis9446]

this guy just woke up from the seventies

[@mifune976]

he looks like hugh grant's character in The Gentlemen

[@Siile_]

Wouldn't be surprised if he was the inspiration for it, awesome movie btw

[@slumplump]

Good lord, this is art in it self!

[@jackierowe9195]

He’s a very talented man and plays it down. I love the fact they hoodwinked these galleries . I don’t think he deserved prison not at all

[@djking44151]

Well worth picking up this guys book. Proper legend!

[@GryphonIndustrial]

I'd love to drink with that guy in the pub! The stories he could tell!

[@marianparker-reed8460]

You could be there for a week or more! Trust me I have

[@avgjoegaming8271]

one chinese gallery the manager took the real ones and forged his own to replace them in the gallery. when he got caught he said everyone is doing it people have stolen my fakes and replaced them with their inferior versions and some of them were even on like the 4th or 5th edition.

[@dominiqueetienne8529]

Man is giving us a whole tutorial

[@slake9727]

Good to see Johnny Cash found a second career

[@Yui714]

He is dressed very richly for someone who knows the precise method to conduct criminal activity. Honestly art is overrated and he probably reaper the reward of truly hard and risky work. Every penny earned was deserved even if it was through crime.

[@alicemoon-star367]

This guy is an artist. He painted these paintings not only to make a bit of money, but also for the love and beauty of art. The conceptual art today is more of a fraud than what he did. Galleries make millions off dead artists and people flog paintings of old masters and Damien Hirst et al. to launder money.

[@trailerwookie]

I would love to watch a movie about this man!

[@marianparker-reed8460]

Totally agree his whole life story is amazing and entertaining

[@denisfoley8500]

It's in the pipeline as we speak x

[@jessicawalton4690]

That b roll looked convincingly old until i saw the wilko paint can 😂

[@maxbrandrett5858]

the undercoat paint was quick drying needed in the process in speeding up the picture.

[@kaiw1182]

Why wouldn’t you put that back story in the beginning of the video?

[@dylvasey]

Fascinating character. I'm off to buy his book!

[@zDinque]

They cut homie off b4 he could finish his books advertising😯

[@matt007]

Now days you just sell your finger paintings to “undisclosed” buyers for $500K+. But it’s all good as long as the “Big Guy” gets his 10% cut. You don’t even need to forge any famous works of art.

[@lawrencenabuin1344]

I wanna send one too where is the buyer😂

[@JohnDoeTheTroll]

Let's Go Brandon!!!

[@frankiezim813]

@@lawrencenabuin1344 Ya think some of my paint by numbers stuff could be valuable?

[@guint7650]

This is amazingly impressive

[@u6uggg6hguiuggy]

This is why money for art should only be given to the artist, if he/she is there. Then you can be 99% sure..

[@TheShoguntofu2011]

his tutorial about how to fast dry oil paint is something to be explored

[@jenniferh1416]

I was invited to one art auction. It was billed as art that had been seized property. Guests could mark cards about ones they were interested in knowing more info by the auctioneer. Then the bidding began. Found it odd that nearly the whole time only two people were the competitive bidders throughout. The rest of us just listened to the bids waiting to see what would happen. One couple bought a Dali print and there were no other bidders. The auctioneer was not a happy man.

[@jessicatharp6405]

What a cool story, thanks for sharing

[@marianparker-reed8460]

There is so much more that unfortunately seems to have been edited out. Shame on them

[@peterlee9691]

I purchased a fake painting years ago, felt like a fool when it was pointed out to me when I got it revalued and examined by an expert.

[@omarcarranza215]

how much did you spend?

[@jin_cotl]

Bro did it and didn’t regret it

[@RealmsOfThePossible]

When he said he first met his partner and they went into a pub I know exactly who he is talking about, John Myatt.

[@Huhgdhdhsud]

forging art shouldn’t be a crime. if you buy a piece because you like it and the artist isn’t exactly who you thought they were that doesn’t change the fact that you like that piece. the issue is you would spend thousands on a canvas just because of the artists name. watch ‘made you look’ on netflix. it makes you mad that these people get in some much trouble for simply having talent and other people are gullible.

[@nickf8028]

How to sell worthless art at exorbitant prices? Have the president as your daddy.

[@BaronVonQuiply]

This man taught me how to dispose of a body using pigs. Brick Top really is a renaissance man and a polymath.

[@barbarasterner7863]

When the forger gets his own copycats - he is a STAR!

[@Pingpingwilltweet]

I looove him! So cool!

[@ZelineZed]

Can someone re-explain the bit about selling the paintings? I did not really get it.

[@jefftitterington7600]

It was a bit of a mind game to get the auction house to accept the paintings. One way was to play on the ego of the auction workers. Then they helped bid the price up - dropping out just in time to keep from buying their own work.

[@ZelineZed]

@@jefftitterington7600 Thank you very much!

[@katewild2194]

You can purchase the book where?

[@anthonyvalentine4009]

Hi Kate! The biography MAX BRANDRETT - BRITAIN'S NUMBER ONE ART FORGER (Tales of a Cheeky Faker) is written and waiting finalization from publishers. Watch this space!

[@martinabrandrett6062]

Amazon x

[@katewild2194]

@@martinabrandrett6062 Thank you for the info I have placed my order was lucky as they only had one copy for sale.

[@christabelle__]

Good for him! Steal from the rich, to feed the poor. No remorse necessary, when you're just trying to survive, and manage to do that without actually hurting anyone in the process!

[@michellejimenezjurado6321]

thanks for the masterclass

[@ScreenHackTV]

Can't find the book he mentioned at the end anywhere? Any help guys !

[@anthonyvalentine4009]

The biography isn't out yet... haven't got a date... but watch this space, as they say.

[@wagwanbennydj6003]

This guy is a goat in the art scene 👌

[@tony7713]

Good timing

[@ekulda]

Great story 🌺

[@bxmully]

That's smooth af

[@operator8014]

Better artist than the originals. Damn shame his work isn't worth much yet. Yet.

[@cakexpie]

7:02. Picasso ?

[@GlobalPeace365]

his backstory - along with a lack of solid educational (academia & life) cushioning & insights, explains most of the outcomes, although his mischievous side was restless.