Précis
Conman John Drewe created impeccable, doctored
provenance
The history of the ownership of an object or work of art; sometimes also used to describe the place of origin, or the find-spot, of an archaeological object or other antiquity (more correctly, “provenience”).
provenance for forgeries of Modern Masters he commissioned from an unknown artist, John Myatt, in what was described by Scotland Yard’s Art and Antiques Squad as “the biggest art
fraud
The intentional use of deceit, a trick or some dishonest means to deprive another of his money, property or legal right, either as a cause of action or as a fatal element in the action itself.
fraud of the 20th century”. The scam, which began in 1987, involved the
forgery
The crime of creating a false document, altering a document, or writing a false signature for the illegal benefit of the person making the forgery (http://dictionary.law.com).
forgery and sale of approximately 200 works and netted the pair over 2.5 million British pounds before they were arrested on forgery, conspiracy to defraud and related charges in1998.
