Back to Canvas & Consequence

Podcast Episode

The Forger Who Humiliated the Experts: Han van Meegeren, Fake Vermeers, and the Art World's Most Embarrassing Con

Canvas & Consequence··10 September 2026·27 min

About this episode

In the 1930s and 40s, a bitter, mediocre Dutch painter named Han van Meegeren got revenge on every critic who ever dismissed him — by selling fake Vermeers to the most prestigious museums and collectors in Europe, including a literal Nazi. The story of how he pulled it off exposes something genuinely uncomfortable: that art authentication is part science, part ego, and dangerously vulnerable to people telling experts exactly what they want to hear. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.