Art scams are today so numerous that the specter of a lawsuit arising from a mistaken attribution has scared a number of experts away from the business of authentication and forgery, and with good reason. Art scams are increasingly convincing and involve incredible sums of money. The cons perpetrated by unscrupulous art dealers and their accomplices are proportionately elaborate.
Anthony M. Amore’s The Art of the Con tells the stories of some of history’s most notorious yet untold cons. They involve stolen art hidden for decades; elaborate ruses that involve the Nazis and allegedly plundered art; the theft of a conceptual prototype from a well-known artist by his assistant to be used later to create copies; the use of online and television auction sites to scam buyers out of millions; and other confidence scams incredible not only for their boldness but more so because they actually worked. Using interviews and newly released court documents, The Art of the Con will also take the reader into the investigations that led to the capture of the con men, who oftentimes return back to the world of crime. For some, it’s an irresistible urge because their innocent dupes all share something in common: they want to believe.
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“Amore is privy to more information on the subject of forgeries than the average art collector or dealer…A bracing and highly informative assessment of a very real problem, sure to resonate with art fans and curators alike.”
— Publishers Weekly
“The Art of the Con is must reading for any true-crime fan…Highly recommended!”
— Howie Carr, New York Times bestselling author“A riveting, fast-moving account of shameless fraudsters who wreak havoc on the art world. A must read!”
— Brian T. Kelly, former Assistant United States Attorney“The tales of these unknown scams are woven into a narrative that reads like a thriller. The attention to detail takes the reader inside the investigations and allows them to play armchair detective.”
— Jon Leiberman, radio and television host and author of Whitey on TrialBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Anthony Amore is director of security and chief investigator at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, where he is charged with the ongoing efforts to recover thirteen works of art stolen from the museum on March 18, 1990. Additionally, he is the co-author of Stealing Rembrandts, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, and author of The Art of the Con. He provides analysis on issues related to security and terrorism for the BBC, NBC News, NPR, CNN, FOX, and others. Learn more at www.anthonyamore.com.