37. Turning to Crime
Wounded and angered by the criticism of his talents, van Meegeren set out to show his detractors. They had derided him for imitating the old-time Dutch Masters, so he decided to prank and punk them by producing a painting so good that it would rival the best works of the Dutch Golden Age. So good, in fact, that the critics would be unable to tell the difference.
In short, van Meegeren decided to turn to criminal forgery, by producing artwork indistinguishable from the best of centuries past, and passing it off as the work of Dutch Masters. Aside from the satisfaction of pulling one over at the art critics, van Meegeren figured that his quest would be highly profitable – if he could pull it off. So in 1932, he moved to southern France, and began experimenting with the technical and chemical procedures necessary for producing the perfect forgery.