7. Van Meegeren created enough paintings in his own name to conceal the source of his wealth
Despite the lack of critical success, Van Meegeren remained in high regard as a painter of portraits and landscapes, as well as still-life paintings, in prewar Europe. He remained a prolific artist, signing his original works with his own name. The steady work helped conceal the source of his income from the forgeries as Europe lurched towards World War II. It also helped him isolate himself as the source of the growing number of “new” paintings from the Dutch Masters that were “found” in Europe. Using the network of agents and appraisers he built across Europe, he routed the forgeries to art experts and museum curators through third parties. He paid them hefty percentages to keep him anonymous. Few, if any, of the forgeries could be traced back directly to him, even had anyone become suspicious.
In 1938, van Meegeren purchased a mansion in Nice, in the south of France. There he created additional forgeries, in the styles of Pieter de Hooch and Vermeer. After France declared war on Germany in September 1939, van Meegeren returned to his native Holland, settling in Laren, near Amsterdam. He began to invest heavily in real estate, often purchasing properties from Jews fleeing the Netherlands in fear of an impending German invasion. He also invested in fine art, including paintings and statuary, and continued to paint himself. During the war he remained in the Netherlands, acquiring a large estate near Amsterdam, and created several further forgeries in the style of Johannes Vermeer, At least one emulated the famed Girl With a Pearl Earring. Another he titled, Christ With the Adultress, and signed it as by Vermeer.