1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: Ridiculous Crime is a production of Iheartradiozon Elizabeth. You know 2 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: it's ridiculous. Oh man, do I all right? You ever 3 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: heard of wife carrying as a competitive sport? No, I've not. 4 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: So it started out apparently in Finland, where it has 5 00:00:19,239 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: a definitely decidedly questionable history. But wife carrying as a sport, 6 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: it involves track that has to be two hundred and 7 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,199 Speaker 1: seventy eight yards long, exactly that number, and then it 8 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: has to have two dry obstacles, one wet obstacle swarty goodness, 9 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: and a husband has to carry their wife. Now, you 10 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,360 Speaker 1: can find these contests everywhere. They're like in Finland, Kazakhstan, 11 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: anywhere you look, you know. But in America we do 12 00:00:46,080 --> 00:00:50,040 Speaker 1: them proper. Okay. There's the North American wife carrying Championship 13 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: you can find at the Sunday River Resort in newy Maine, 14 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:59,920 Speaker 1: like any wry newy okay, right, And they usually do 15 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: it in the fall, and it involves people male female 16 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: partnership when they're all leaf peeping. Yeah, so the exactly 17 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: out there like oh it's gouse the leaves. You don't 18 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:12,039 Speaker 1: want to do a championship run. So yeah, they basically 19 00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: just imagine a husband carrying his wife like fire like 20 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:20,240 Speaker 1: fireman over the shoulders, or like maybe like bear hug 21 00:01:20,319 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: like you know, upside down, where like they're all s 22 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: all sorts of weird ways, but however they can like 23 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:28,200 Speaker 1: clutch each other and then they run as fast and 24 00:01:28,240 --> 00:01:32,280 Speaker 1: as hard as they can over three obstacles and hell 25 00:01:32,319 --> 00:01:34,199 Speaker 1: and dale, Yeah, for two hundred and seventy eight yards 26 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: or whatever. And you can't drag her, No, no, you 27 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: gotta its whole thing is the carrying in. That's the name. Yeah, 28 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: I thought, ridiculous. That is very ridiculous. Do you know 29 00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: what else is ridiculous? No, hit me with it? Forging 30 00:01:47,720 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: art while in jail for forging art? Wait, what this is? Ridiculous? 31 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: Crime A podcast about absurd and outrageous capers, heists, and cons. 32 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: It's always ninety nine percent murder free and one hundred 33 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:25,959 Speaker 1: percent ridiculous. Oh you damn right. Yes, I think I've 34 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: established that I like four things. Okay, I mean I 35 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: like more than four things in life, but these are 36 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 1: the main four dogs, which are the greatest living creatures 37 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: on Earth. Trains, but not in like the knowing the 38 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 1: model or history kind of way, pretending to not watch TV, 39 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 1: especially the hit Fox TV show nine one one, and 40 00:02:45,480 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: art crimes. Yes, those are four things I like. I 41 00:02:48,200 --> 00:02:50,919 Speaker 1: don't have any cool dog stories today, and I haven't 42 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,520 Speaker 1: been on a train lately, and I'm all caught up 43 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,320 Speaker 1: on the stories. OA, so that leaves art crime nice. 44 00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: You gotta fresh you for me, I do. I really 45 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:05,840 Speaker 1: liked telling you the tale of Elmer Dahorri Elmir. Excuse me. Oh, 46 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: he was fantastic. There was something so compelling about someone 47 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: who had talent, someone who life had totally put behind 48 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: the eight ball, and someone who was so charming and 49 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: who wanted more than anything to be loved and valued. Um, 50 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: and I loved hearing about his criminal escapades. Today. I 51 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: have another Forger for you, right, he also has talent. 52 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: He's also rather audacious and charming, but he's not as 53 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: charming as Elmir of course. Um. You know how if 54 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 1: you look at an established artists Apple Music page, say, 55 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,880 Speaker 1: for example, Oasis, Okay, I don't know about theirs, though, 56 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: they'll have like their essentials, which is like the greatest 57 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,720 Speaker 1: hitch and then then sometimes they'll have deep tracks, but 58 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: they also have both influences and inspired by and so 59 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 1: by the way. The inspired by collection for the band 60 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:58,280 Speaker 1: is really good. Um. Anyway, if there wasn't inspired by 61 00:03:58,320 --> 00:04:02,680 Speaker 1: Elmer Dahorri track list Wolfgang or I should say Wolfgang, 62 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: I'll say Wolfgang. I'll americanize it Bell Tracky, he'd be 63 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,840 Speaker 1: right up there, okay. So Wolfgang Beltracky is an inspiration 64 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,000 Speaker 1: for almerda hard Well, he would he was inspired by Elmire. 65 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:16,600 Speaker 1: Oh I got it backwards. Why there you go? So 66 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:21,920 Speaker 1: Wolfgang Beltracky. He was born Wolfgang Fisher. Wolfgang Fisher picked 67 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:23,960 Speaker 1: up Bell Tracky along the way. Well, you'll find out 68 00:04:24,720 --> 00:04:28,680 Speaker 1: in Hexta, Germany. Sure, I am gonna like you say 69 00:04:28,680 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: it like I know it. I'm butchering the hawkster with 70 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:40,440 Speaker 1: oh yeah, yes, so Hexta Hexta Yeah. In nineteen fifty one. 71 00:04:40,839 --> 00:04:43,160 Speaker 1: His father was an artist. He was like a muralist. 72 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: He restored church frescoes. He's like the German Diego Rivera. 73 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: Yes so no, so Wolfgang Wolfie. He began painting when 74 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,239 Speaker 1: he was ten, and when he was fourteen he painted 75 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: a piece copied from Pablo Picasso. After his father had 76 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: to ten to do the exact same thing. Like his 77 00:05:01,680 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: dad tries copying it. This is what he said. I 78 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:07,440 Speaker 1: was fourteen and my father had given me a postcard. 79 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 1: I was allowed to use my father's oil paints for 80 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:13,040 Speaker 1: the first time. I didn't like the original I thought 81 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: it was too sad, so I changed it, omitting a 82 00:05:15,520 --> 00:05:18,800 Speaker 1: piece of material and making the picture less monochromatic. The 83 00:05:18,839 --> 00:05:21,719 Speaker 1: painting took an afternoon. My father didn't touch a brush 84 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: again for the next two years. Oh my god, can 85 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:27,760 Speaker 1: you imagine that moment where the father like walks into 86 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:29,360 Speaker 1: the room to see what he's done, and he's just like, 87 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,560 Speaker 1: never mind, and it just goes into sadly puts his 88 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 1: brushes away. They get dusty for the next two years. 89 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: That's just like wow. Right. So when he was seventeen, 90 00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: Wolfgang was expelled from high school and he'd quit art 91 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:45,960 Speaker 1: school in Akin after four years studying there. Sure, so 92 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,559 Speaker 1: what do you do when you quit art school? Go 93 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:52,000 Speaker 1: to it T Tech where you can start learning to code. 94 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:56,039 Speaker 1: No no clothes, You buy yourself a Harley Davidson, and 95 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: you become a nomadic hippie. Oh I like his choice. Huh. 96 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:03,560 Speaker 1: So he travels throughout Europe, smoking hash, dropping acid with 97 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:07,120 Speaker 1: US soldiers stationed at nearby NATO base on their way 98 00:06:07,160 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 1: home from Vietnam, you know, as they would have stories. 99 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,400 Speaker 1: Where did he go as a nomad? Well, for a 100 00:06:13,480 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 1: year and a half. He crashed on a Moroccan beach 101 00:06:16,680 --> 00:06:19,120 Speaker 1: and he lived in the commune Choices. Oh yeah, he 102 00:06:19,120 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: lived in the commune in Spain. He lived in a 103 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,280 Speaker 1: houseboat in Amsterdam, and he ran a psychedelic light show 104 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:27,680 Speaker 1: at the Paradiso nightclub there. I think what we have 105 00:06:27,839 --> 00:06:32,360 Speaker 1: established is is that under General Lisamo Francisco Franco Fascist, 106 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:35,159 Speaker 1: Spain was a great place to do drugs. Apparently everybody 107 00:06:35,200 --> 00:06:39,880 Speaker 1: doing drugs in the seventies like, I gotta hit Spain. Yeah, anyway, going, 108 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:44,359 Speaker 1: So he drifted around Barcelona, Paris, London. What did he 109 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 1: do in all those places, Well, he bought and sold paintings. 110 00:06:47,920 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 1: He founded antique markets, and his career as a forger 111 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:55,680 Speaker 1: was born in those markets. One day he noticed a 112 00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: wintry landscape painting of iced over as he saw that 113 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: it sold for a lot of money. But he found 114 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: that the ones with these kind of winter scenes made 115 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 1: more if there were ice skaters in the painting. So 116 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: with the Disney, He's like, are you know what you 117 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,960 Speaker 1: need is some ice skaters? So he bought a set 118 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,680 Speaker 1: of paintings for two hundred and fifty dollars each by 119 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: this unknown eighteenth century Dutch painter. He then painted ice 120 00:07:21,520 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 1: skaters into the winter landscape and he resold them for 121 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:28,000 Speaker 1: a profit because like, ice skaters are big business or 122 00:07:28,040 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 1: something apprently, so he sitsuing. Like then he starts buying 123 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: these old wooden frames and he creates winter landscape paintings 124 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:38,640 Speaker 1: with ice skaters in them, sold as works by old masters. 125 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:41,480 Speaker 1: So he like had this technique where he would put 126 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:43,800 Speaker 1: this stuff all over the painting and then scrape the 127 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: old paint off and then you know, make his own thing. 128 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 1: So by the eighties he really ramped up his forgery business. 129 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: He painted in waves, as he called them, depending on 130 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: whatever his needs were. Quote, sometimes I'd paint ten works 131 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:58,440 Speaker 1: in a month, and then I'd go for six months 132 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,720 Speaker 1: without doing any He's just yeah, he's take a little 133 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: pieces of your retirement when you can get it. Exactly. 134 00:08:04,840 --> 00:08:10,160 Speaker 1: So in nineteen ninety two, Wolfgang meets Helene BELTRACKI, oh, 135 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: there it is progressive. So they were each living with 136 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: another partner when they met. Helene was with her longtime boyfriend. 137 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: Wolfgang lived with his ex girlfriend and their four year 138 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: old son. Okay, he met Helene because her boss was 139 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: backing a project of his using money made from his forgeries. 140 00:08:28,760 --> 00:08:31,600 Speaker 1: He bought an eighty foot sailboat and he hired a 141 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: five man crew all for this project. What was the project? 142 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 1: He was gonna do some plane air paintings and this 143 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: is something this would be right up your alley. He 144 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: was writing and filming a documentary about pirates. Oh my god, 145 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:48,920 Speaker 1: I love this guy. He makes all the right choices. 146 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 1: So he planned to sail around the world. He was 147 00:08:51,600 --> 00:08:55,240 Speaker 1: going to go from Majorca to Madagascar, then to South 148 00:08:55,280 --> 00:08:57,920 Speaker 1: America because he wanted to follow the career paths of 149 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,160 Speaker 1: all the pirates. Totally get into car. He was saying, 150 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,080 Speaker 1: I want to go from Sir Francis Drake to the 151 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,880 Speaker 1: South China season. So he's doing every he's going. Yeah, 152 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: he's covering the whole history. So Helene, she did not 153 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: find Wolfgang to be all heba hoba at first. She 154 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:12,960 Speaker 1: wasn't into it. She thought he was a big mouth 155 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:17,000 Speaker 1: as what she called him. So Wolfgang, he organized a 156 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:21,280 Speaker 1: seminar series on sixteen millimeter film production as you do. 157 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:25,080 Speaker 1: Helene attended spent some time with him, her mind gets changed. 158 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,560 Speaker 1: Wolfie goes from zero to hero. He is an artist. Now, 159 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,319 Speaker 1: this is what she said, quote, I saw that he 160 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: was an absolute perfectionist, intelligent, educated, and a totally open 161 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:39,600 Speaker 1: social human being. So he just wins her over. By 162 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 1: the end of the week, she has dumped her boyfriend 163 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: and moved in with him. Wow, I like it. How's 164 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:50,240 Speaker 1: that pirate documentary going? And you know whatever? Not great? Yeah, 165 00:09:50,280 --> 00:09:53,280 Speaker 1: I think it served as so exactly, So the film 166 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:56,480 Speaker 1: production it fell apart and the crew gets stranded in Maorca. 167 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,640 Speaker 1: Wolfgang gave the boat away and and pay the crew. Wow, 168 00:10:01,880 --> 00:10:05,439 Speaker 1: I like it exactly, he's loose. So a couple of 169 00:10:05,520 --> 00:10:08,160 Speaker 1: days after they first got together, Helene saw the paintings 170 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:10,400 Speaker 1: that he had from all these famous artists, and she's 171 00:10:10,440 --> 00:10:13,480 Speaker 1: curious about him. Here's how she tells it. Quote I 172 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: asked him, are these actually real? And he said they're 173 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 1: all mine? I made him. I said, so you're an 174 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: art counterfeiter and he said, exactly, that's my work, that's 175 00:10:23,800 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: my metier. Obviously she's cool with it. Why is she 176 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: cool with it? Who knows? So anyway, Helene and Wolfgang 177 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: they get married in nineteen ninety three. Nine months later, 178 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:39,240 Speaker 1: they had a daughter named Franziska, and Wolfgang took Helene's 179 00:10:39,320 --> 00:10:44,200 Speaker 1: last name, changing from Wolfgang Fisher to Wolfgang belt Truckey. Yes, 180 00:10:44,720 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 1: it sounds cooler. It does sound cooler, and I'm imagining 181 00:10:47,280 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: as an artist. He's like, listen to the Ring of back. 182 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, completely. So Helene, she wasn't just cool with 183 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:55,040 Speaker 1: the counterfeit paintings. She's like she wanted in on that lefe. 184 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,559 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, she's angry. She was all about fraud life. 185 00:10:57,559 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: So she reaches out to Lempert's major auction house in Cologne. 186 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: She said that she had a painting for sale by 187 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: the French cubist George Vamier and quote they sent their expert. 188 00:11:11,840 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: She looked for a few minutes, said it was wonderful, 189 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 1: and then asked how much do you want for it? 190 00:11:16,720 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 1: So the lady bought it for twenty thousand Deutsche marks. Okay, 191 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: And this is what Elaine said. The first time. It 192 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: was like being in a movie. It was like it 193 00:11:25,679 --> 00:11:28,080 Speaker 1: had nothing to do with me. It was another person, 194 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,959 Speaker 1: an art dealer whom I was playing. Everybody with the movies, 195 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: ye always with the movies of the movie. So she 196 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 1: just roll places. Sorry, doesn't even ever do crime and 197 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,360 Speaker 1: think that they're in a play, you know, maybe pre movie. 198 00:11:40,440 --> 00:11:43,440 Speaker 1: It was like a Eugeno Neal. I just felt like, well, 199 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: so she's shocked at how easy this is. So she 200 00:11:46,760 --> 00:11:49,559 Speaker 1: said quote normally a person would think that these experts 201 00:11:49,559 --> 00:11:52,520 Speaker 1: would study the paintings and look for proof of its provenance. 202 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: The authenticator asked two or three questions. She was gone 203 00:11:55,520 --> 00:11:58,959 Speaker 1: in ten minutes. It was super easy. A year later, 204 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: that same forged Valnier sold at auction in New York 205 00:12:02,760 --> 00:12:05,840 Speaker 1: for a million dollars. Well you know there it is. Yeah, Well, 206 00:12:05,840 --> 00:12:09,160 Speaker 1: and their money easily parted. So nineteen ninety three, Helene 207 00:12:09,160 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: debuted her Fletch Time collection. Wolfgang would paint in his 208 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 1: studio while Helene, she had a sister named Jeannette, and 209 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:21,840 Speaker 1: then another accomplice named Otto schulteke ketting house I'm destroying. 210 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 1: I'm sure they organized the sale of the paintings. Wolfgang 211 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: met Otto in a cafe. He introduced him to people 212 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,079 Speaker 1: as Count Otto. What a great name, of course. Wolfgang 213 00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,559 Speaker 1: describes Otto as someone not really up on the art 214 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: world and its history and such, but like a quick learner, okay, 215 00:12:37,080 --> 00:12:38,960 Speaker 1: so he takes him under his wing. He learned about 216 00:12:38,960 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: the forgery racket, totally on board. He's like count me in. 217 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:44,520 Speaker 1: So Helene and her sister they went to auction houses 218 00:12:44,559 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 1: and they said that they inherited an art collection from 219 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: their father, Werner Yeagers. And according to them, Yeagers had 220 00:12:52,720 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 1: been a client of Alfred fletch Time, the famous Jewish 221 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:58,920 Speaker 1: art gallery owner who lost his gallery to the Nazis. 222 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:01,679 Speaker 1: So keep it mind that the Nazis looted more than 223 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: six hundred and fifty thousand works of art there. I 224 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,319 Speaker 1: it was like twenty percent of the art in Europe. Yeah, ridiculous. 225 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 1: And there are more than one hundred thousand pieces that 226 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 1: haven't been recovered or returned to the heirs of the owners. 227 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:18,560 Speaker 1: So Wolfgang in Helene said that in order to save 228 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:22,680 Speaker 1: his works from the grubby clutches of the Nazis, flesh 229 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: Time sold a bunch of the paintings to Yeager Helene's grandpa, 230 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 1: who then hid them in the Cologne Mountains for the 231 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,200 Speaker 1: duration of World War Two. They had doctored photographs and 232 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: forged documents to back and claim. So there were experts 233 00:13:36,880 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: who also for a fee would back his staff. Experts 234 00:13:39,880 --> 00:13:42,480 Speaker 1: can always be bought exactly, and the auction houses they 235 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:43,880 Speaker 1: were stoked to be able to get their hands on 236 00:13:43,960 --> 00:13:47,360 Speaker 1: all these old master works believed to time. So much 237 00:13:47,480 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: like Elmer Dhri, Wolfgang didn't copy existing works. He painted 238 00:13:52,600 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: quote in the style of designer impostor. It's harder to 239 00:13:56,080 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: question right well, and then the way he came up 240 00:13:58,520 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: with it is so genius. So the piece as he 241 00:14:00,400 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 1: created were then said to be works that had been 242 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: lost in the shuffle somewhere, whether missing pieces or one's 243 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:10,480 Speaker 1: not known about until then. He created titles and different 244 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: motivation stories behind the creation of the piece in question. 245 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: This is what he said. Quote. Every philharmonic orchestra merely 246 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 1: interprets the composer. My goal was to create new music 247 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 1: by that composer. In doing so, I wanted to find 248 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: the painter's creative center and become familiar with it, so 249 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: that I could see through his eyes how his paintings 250 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,400 Speaker 1: came about, and of course see the new picture I 251 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:36,960 Speaker 1: was painting through his eyes before I even painted it. 252 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 1: I wonder how that worked, you know, I mean, if 253 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: you're really good as an artist, and because I can 254 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:43,800 Speaker 1: only speak as like a film student. Or it's like 255 00:14:43,840 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: you can eventually art to see how an editor would work, 256 00:14:46,240 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 1: how they would cut this, or how a composer would 257 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: score this, or I would director would want to move 258 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,520 Speaker 1: on this and follow that. You get that sense. But 259 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,560 Speaker 1: as an artist, it's such a two dimensional thing I'd 260 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: be willing to about. Not that it's easier, but I 261 00:14:57,320 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: bet they could do that really well in that vision 262 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: like a crazy feeling, you know, like as a writer, 263 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: when I'm writing in the voice of a character created, 264 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:08,120 Speaker 1: like you get into it and all of a sudden 265 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:10,120 Speaker 1: you're that person. Yeah, it's just flowing through you. You You 266 00:15:10,240 --> 00:15:11,920 Speaker 1: don't having to thank or you're in the what of 267 00:15:11,960 --> 00:15:14,520 Speaker 1: the flow state. But to have that two dimensional quality 268 00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,520 Speaker 1: imagines being able to put on lenses like imaginary lenses, 269 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: and also you can see the world like Picasso right 270 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:23,880 Speaker 1: and exactly so, like he would study the catalogs of 271 00:15:23,920 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: existing works for artists, and he'd research their schools of practice. 272 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: But then what he did that was so smart is 273 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,200 Speaker 1: that he looked at what was registered as having gone 274 00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: missing during World War two. Brilliant and because of that, 275 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,000 Speaker 1: there usually weren't reference images for the paintings just like 276 00:15:38,120 --> 00:15:40,040 Speaker 1: vague descriptions. So he's like, all right, well, you know, 277 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: I wonder if he's also pulling through their notes, you know, 278 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:44,160 Speaker 1: like going into their diaries and trying to find them 279 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: talking about a thing. Oh, he did tons and tons 280 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: of research on it, and when he found a piece 281 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,480 Speaker 1: of missing, missing piece of work, he would start painting 282 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 1: it based on whatever written narrative there was for it, 283 00:15:55,160 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: with knowledge of the artists uber So he's like any 284 00:15:58,160 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: descriptions that other people had at the time writing about it. 285 00:16:01,280 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: So he's just filling in the gaps, and he was good. 286 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:06,960 Speaker 1: The paintings were selling, the prices are going up and up. 287 00:16:07,560 --> 00:16:09,960 Speaker 1: Here's what Wolfgang had to say about a max Ernst 288 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: painting that he did. Quote his widow, Dorothea Tanning, and 289 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,320 Speaker 1: artist in her own right, said that one of my 290 00:16:16,440 --> 00:16:19,360 Speaker 1: forgeries was the most beautiful Max Ernst painting she had 291 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: ever seen. The trick is to paint a picture that 292 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:24,920 Speaker 1: doesn't exist and yet that fits perfectly into an artist's 293 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: body of work. So exactly like Elmer. When we get 294 00:16:28,960 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 1: back from this break, I'll tell you other ways. Wolfgang's 295 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: criminal enterprise was pretty much like Elmer's. We're back, hey, Hey, o, 296 00:16:58,240 --> 00:17:02,360 Speaker 1: Wolfgang Beltrackey. Yeah, he's making fake pieces by famous artists. 297 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 1: He's using the Nazi theft of art from German Jews 298 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: and others to make cover for himself. There were a 299 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:11,160 Speaker 1: lot of people who were duped by him, auction houses 300 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:17,040 Speaker 1: like Christie's and lem Parents. Art scholar Verner Spice. You're 301 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:18,920 Speaker 1: familiar with it. Oh, of course, I used to get 302 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: the newsletter Experience Speaks were your favorite experienced art collectors 303 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:28,119 Speaker 1: Reinhold Erth and Danielle Philipacchi the verse. Haven't called me 304 00:17:28,160 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: since that, you know, the incident, but you know, I 305 00:17:30,800 --> 00:17:34,240 Speaker 1: think that we could reconnect. I know, maybe therapy would 306 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:39,720 Speaker 1: be good, sit down talk therapy. Yeah. Um, actor Steve Martin, 307 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 1: Banjoe Buddy Banjo Boys, Steve Martin. So, because it was 308 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 1: nearly impossible to trace these pieces, experts, mediators, purchasers, they 309 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:54,360 Speaker 1: all got suspicious after a while. Remember Wolfgang and Helene. 310 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 1: They said that the pieces came from Helene's actual grandfather, 311 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:01,960 Speaker 1: who was a wealthy industrialist, Werner Yeagers. So they said 312 00:18:01,960 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: that Yeagers had been friends with Alfred Flechteim in the 313 00:18:05,800 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 1: nineteen twenties, and as we know, he's this German Jewish 314 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 1: art dealer. They said that Yeagers bought the paintings from 315 00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:15,400 Speaker 1: Flesh Time in order to save them from the Nazis. 316 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:19,600 Speaker 1: The story, though, had holes. So in the nineteen thirties, 317 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 1: here's the big problem, Yeagers was actually a member of 318 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:26,280 Speaker 1: the Nazi party. Well there is that he's not saving 319 00:18:26,320 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: it from himself. Yeah, he trying to pull the hole, 320 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:30,240 Speaker 1: like I got pulled in, but I was trying to 321 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:33,879 Speaker 1: say he's dead. And he also had no interest in 322 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:38,639 Speaker 1: art in his life. It was completely doubtful that he 323 00:18:38,680 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 1: even knew flextime. Okay, So when people tried to call 324 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,400 Speaker 1: him out on this, Volfgang and Helene, they pulled out 325 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: all these old photographs what they said were from the 326 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:52,600 Speaker 1: twenties of Helene's grandmother, Josephine Yeagers, with the paintings in 327 00:18:52,680 --> 00:18:56,080 Speaker 1: question hanging on a wall in the background. They're like, look, 328 00:18:56,320 --> 00:18:58,880 Speaker 1: we'll come to find out these photos are fake. So 329 00:18:59,560 --> 00:19:04,440 Speaker 1: Helene would dress in period clothing and pose as her grandmother. 330 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:07,960 Speaker 1: Love it. Wolfgang used an old camera and like pre 331 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,159 Speaker 1: war developing paper to take these pictures. This is what 332 00:19:11,240 --> 00:19:14,120 Speaker 1: he said. Quote. We were asked if perhaps there were 333 00:19:14,119 --> 00:19:17,200 Speaker 1: some family photos in which the paintings could be seen. Well, 334 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:19,800 Speaker 1: of course there were. I got myself an old camera 335 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: on one of those big cardboard things from the nineteen twenties, 336 00:19:22,520 --> 00:19:25,120 Speaker 1: as well as old film roles in larger's trays, whatever 337 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,960 Speaker 1: I could find at the flea market. So he's like, yeah, 338 00:19:28,000 --> 00:19:31,680 Speaker 1: I can get you some pictures. They created fake labels 339 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:35,639 Speaker 1: that stated that the paintings were from sam Lung flex Time, 340 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:40,200 Speaker 1: the flex Time collection. So with the success of this collection, 341 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 1: the sisters did it again later with a second large 342 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:48,359 Speaker 1: art collection, the Knops collection, and that was also collections. 343 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, but they had to like have oh why 344 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,080 Speaker 1: we got this? So in this story, Knops was the 345 00:19:53,160 --> 00:19:58,240 Speaker 1: grandfather of Auto, the other four germ count Auto. Yeah exactly. 346 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:01,359 Speaker 1: So Count Otto has this grand father, Knops, who also 347 00:20:01,400 --> 00:20:04,000 Speaker 1: just dies ilected. His name is Count eight, you know. 348 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:11,840 Speaker 1: So Otto inherited the art collection upon his grandfather's death. Well, 349 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,800 Speaker 1: where here we are, you know, more paintings. So the 350 00:20:14,880 --> 00:20:18,399 Speaker 1: Beltrackeys made a lot of money from these forgeries, and 351 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: they spent a lot of money. They spent seven million 352 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:25,800 Speaker 1: euros on this enormous villa in Freiburg, which is a 353 00:20:25,880 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: town in southern Germany. If you're going to do it 354 00:20:28,160 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: a villa, right, Well, it took nineteen months to restore 355 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: this villa after they bought it. And while they were 356 00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: having the restoration, they stayed in the penthouse suite of 357 00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:41,000 Speaker 1: the Columbia Hotel for seven hundred euros a night. They're 358 00:20:41,040 --> 00:20:43,960 Speaker 1: just ragging it up and their neighbors are like blown 359 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: away by these spending habits. They traveled, They went on 360 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: these shopping sprees. When the renovations on the villa were done, 361 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 1: they invited a hundred people to their housewarming party. And 362 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 1: then you know, it wouldn't be a proper villa warming 363 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 1: party without a four member flamenco band flown in from 364 00:21:00,000 --> 00:21:02,600 Speaker 1: Granada to sing and dance for the guests. It's only problem. 365 00:21:02,680 --> 00:21:04,040 Speaker 1: I mean, come on, I mean, come on doing this 366 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:07,480 Speaker 1: or do what? Are we animals? M So they're living large. 367 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:10,400 Speaker 1: But as is obvious from the fact that I'm telling 368 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:12,840 Speaker 1: you about them, it didn't last. Oh I was worried 369 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 1: about this because you're telling me about them. It was 370 00:21:15,320 --> 00:21:18,240 Speaker 1: something small that took them down. Though. It was those 371 00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:21,520 Speaker 1: fake labels that would be their undoing. Oh. Interesting, Well, 372 00:21:21,720 --> 00:21:26,400 Speaker 1: experts were suspicious of their authenticity and considering the fact 373 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,200 Speaker 1: that they'd never seen labels such as these on any 374 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: other artworks prior. Oh yeah, that's and well they didn't 375 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 1: like copy a label, they made a new right, and 376 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: so the labels didn't compare in quality to Fletch Times labels. UM. 377 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 1: And they also, like those labels, had a custom stamp 378 00:21:44,960 --> 00:21:47,240 Speaker 1: that was very recognizable. It would have been worth it 379 00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,159 Speaker 1: to them to buy an actual flex Time just to 380 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: get the stamp and then be able to exactly for 381 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,320 Speaker 1: the amount of money that they're taken in. Yeah, if 382 00:21:53,320 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 1: they're buying villas, you know, buy a flex Time. Yeah, 383 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:57,800 Speaker 1: well there was on their label. There's like a weird 384 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,320 Speaker 1: caricature of flex Time at Wolfgang Drew. And so in 385 00:22:02,359 --> 00:22:07,320 Speaker 1: two thousand and eight, um Ralph Jens, who was an expert, UM, 386 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:09,720 Speaker 1: he did something no one had done before. He questioned 387 00:22:09,760 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 1: the labels. This is what he said, quote Fletch Time 388 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,920 Speaker 1: was a connoisseur, a collector, a man of taste. There 389 00:22:16,040 --> 00:22:18,800 Speaker 1: is no way he would have permitted such a silly portrait. 390 00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:21,880 Speaker 1: So it was just the caricature, Like this guy was serious. 391 00:22:21,880 --> 00:22:24,239 Speaker 1: Why did he have like a good girl. That's like 392 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:27,040 Speaker 1: an observation. You're with your boy doctor doctor Bendor would 393 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: know yes, oh my god, Bendor, and I don't remember 394 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:35,400 Speaker 1: his last Yeah, he's like an English art story expert. Yeah, 395 00:22:35,480 --> 00:22:37,359 Speaker 1: oh my god, he's the best. But he has just 396 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:40,120 Speaker 1: the best lines for his reasoning. Oh yeah, he would 397 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:43,920 Speaker 1: definitely do that with I don't believe it totally. So 398 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:47,240 Speaker 1: in two thousand and six, Wolfgang in Helene sold a 399 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:54,119 Speaker 1: nineteen fourteen painting supposedly by Heinrich Compendonk called Red Picture 400 00:22:54,200 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: with Horses to a Maltese company, Tristeco, and Tristec commissioned 401 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:03,120 Speaker 1: to art historians to inspect the work. They're like, why 402 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:08,160 Speaker 1: are there ice skaters in this picture? So they confirmed 403 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,200 Speaker 1: that some of the paint that was used didn't exist 404 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,200 Speaker 1: in nineteen Oh yeah, that's always a year it was 405 00:23:12,240 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 1: supposedly made. Wolfgang had purchased a tube of paint in 406 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,879 Speaker 1: the Netherlands that contained titanium white and made mostly of 407 00:23:19,920 --> 00:23:23,320 Speaker 1: titanium dioxide. It was still in development when they were, 408 00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: you know, saying that this painting was created. So Wolfgang 409 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 1: he blamed his desire for convenience on this slip up quote. 410 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:34,520 Speaker 1: I had always used a zinc white, which was completely normal. 411 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:37,719 Speaker 1: In Kampendoc's day. Yeah. Usually I mixed the paints myself, 412 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:39,760 Speaker 1: but I was missing some pigments, so I took a 413 00:23:39,840 --> 00:23:43,240 Speaker 1: zinc white from a tube, a Dutch product, but unfortunately 414 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:45,439 Speaker 1: it didn't say that it contained a small amount of 415 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:48,440 Speaker 1: titanium white. In other words, the whole thing was discovered 416 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:53,879 Speaker 1: because of an incorrectly labeled tube. He's very facility. He 417 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,639 Speaker 1: just got lazy. I think you can point that finger 418 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,800 Speaker 1: right back this way. So in twenty ten, the buyer 419 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,640 Speaker 1: painting filed a complaint with the District Court in Cologne 420 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:05,840 Speaker 1: in order to be reimbursed for the purchase price two 421 00:24:05,880 --> 00:24:09,680 Speaker 1: point nine million euros. Yeah to hell, have a rebate, Yeah, 422 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: a little chargeback on the card. Berlin State Criminal Police 423 00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: got word of the forgeries, they launched an investigation. Forensics 424 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,760 Speaker 1: discovered that the labels were made with a modern paper 425 00:24:21,080 --> 00:24:25,040 Speaker 1: to look old, and the glue was also modern. Zaren Yes, 426 00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 1: close you, Oh yeah, I want you to picture it closed. 427 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:37,000 Speaker 1: It's August twenty seven, twenty ten. You own Cologne, Germany's 428 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:42,840 Speaker 1: hottest restaurant, Zarin House. It's terribly posh. It's super small, 429 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:48,520 Speaker 1: known for our sculptures of salad. Zaren House. You recommend 430 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,560 Speaker 1: the crudo, or maybe the roasted duck with wild spice, 431 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:54,440 Speaker 1: strudel and beetroot. It's very good this time of yeah, exactly. 432 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:57,240 Speaker 1: You and the staff that you all wear patent leather jumpsuits. 433 00:24:57,240 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: By the way, we all like to look very good. 434 00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: And when we are seven fo it's your idea, No, 435 00:25:02,119 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 1: it was their idea. So your greeting guests, as they 436 00:25:05,119 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: approach the hostess to claim their reservations, incomes the Beltrackey family. 437 00:25:09,240 --> 00:25:12,880 Speaker 1: The goods. They're regulars, like, hey, guys, they spend well, 438 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 1: they eat well. They're two teenage kids. Manuel and Franziska 439 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:22,439 Speaker 1: are particularly adventurous eaters you've noted, so they enjoy this 440 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: wonderful meal and all the exquisite wines that you've recommended. 441 00:25:26,200 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: They get up to leave and you walk with them. 442 00:25:28,440 --> 00:25:30,520 Speaker 1: You're chatting about the weather and the plants that they 443 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,280 Speaker 1: have for this fall. You hold the door to the 444 00:25:33,320 --> 00:25:36,000 Speaker 1: restaurant open for them as they file out. Just then 445 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:44,040 Speaker 1: you hear approaching sirens and the screeching of wheels. Five policemans, 446 00:25:44,119 --> 00:25:46,760 Speaker 1: lights and sirens ablaze, come careening up to the curb. 447 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,760 Speaker 1: Police jump out, armed with automatic weapons and police dogs. 448 00:25:51,119 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 1: The police order Wolfgang in Helene into a policeman. You 449 00:25:56,280 --> 00:26:01,199 Speaker 1: stand by a gog. Wolfgang tosses his car keys to Francesca. 450 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: The teens look at you, but you've already headed back inside. 451 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:06,320 Speaker 1: I'm glad to go back because this is too much funny. 452 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,160 Speaker 1: You don't need the trouble. Basically, so the kids look 453 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 1: at each other, they shrug, and they make their way 454 00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 1: home alone in the family car. This is what Franziska said. 455 00:26:17,000 --> 00:26:18,919 Speaker 1: This is what the daughter said. We went back to 456 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:21,240 Speaker 1: the house and called a lawyer. I had no idea 457 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:23,199 Speaker 1: what this was about until I saw the news on 458 00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:29,600 Speaker 1: television and read it in the newspapers. Blissfully ignorant of this. Sorry, 459 00:26:29,800 --> 00:26:34,479 Speaker 1: the television, I don't know. So Wolfgang in Helene. They 460 00:26:34,480 --> 00:26:37,840 Speaker 1: were in custody for fourteen months between the time of 461 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: their arrest and their trial in October of twenty eleven. 462 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 1: In jail, Wolfgang painted portraits of fellow inmates, and he 463 00:26:45,880 --> 00:26:47,960 Speaker 1: and Helene wrote to each other what they say were 464 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:53,040 Speaker 1: seven thousand to eight thousand pages in total, constant letter writing. 465 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:55,960 Speaker 1: And it was during this time that Helene was diagnosed 466 00:26:55,960 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: with breast cancer. So they're just going through all this 467 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:01,680 Speaker 1: stuff In September of twenty eleven, the group went on 468 00:27:01,720 --> 00:27:06,680 Speaker 1: trial in Cologne, Germany. Wolfgang in Helene, Helene's sister Jeanette, 469 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,520 Speaker 1: and Otto count Otto about my man count eight. There 470 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,240 Speaker 1: were fourteen works of art that were confirmed as forgeries, okay, 471 00:27:14,760 --> 00:27:17,960 Speaker 1: and those had earned them twenty one million dollars hot damn. 472 00:27:18,760 --> 00:27:21,840 Speaker 1: And there were another thirty three pieces that were supposedly 473 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:24,840 Speaker 1: by all these other artists that Camp and Docmax Earnst 474 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: they're under investigation as well. Wolfgang loves an audience, so 475 00:27:30,840 --> 00:27:32,760 Speaker 1: when he was called to the stand, he gave more 476 00:27:32,800 --> 00:27:35,480 Speaker 1: of a soliloquy than a confession, because they've cut this deal. 477 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:38,439 Speaker 1: If you confess, then will reduce the sentence. So he 478 00:27:38,560 --> 00:27:41,040 Speaker 1: regaled them with stories of his wild youth, and he 479 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: went on. He went after the arrogance and greed of 480 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: the art world. He also said the whole thing was 481 00:27:46,600 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: quote great fun exactly. And then he did this post 482 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 1: trial interview with Vanity fair as you do. He said 483 00:27:56,080 --> 00:27:58,560 Speaker 1: he was thrilled to share how he was able to 484 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:00,920 Speaker 1: like dash off these paintings that he would later sell 485 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:04,119 Speaker 1: for millions. Quote, I did in three or four hours, 486 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:08,480 Speaker 1: sometimes even faster. So he's just whipping these that's amazing, 487 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:10,240 Speaker 1: and it really kind of it's not an insult to 488 00:28:10,280 --> 00:28:12,280 Speaker 1: the great masters, but it kind of puts into perspective 489 00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 1: how long some of their stuff might have taken, you know. Well, 490 00:28:14,359 --> 00:28:16,480 Speaker 1: and it's interesting because it's like they put all of 491 00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:18,760 Speaker 1: this thought and development into it and then he just 492 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:21,199 Speaker 1: kind of swoops in after and it's like the table's 493 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 1: already been set. Yeah, you know, he's just going to 494 00:28:23,359 --> 00:28:25,560 Speaker 1: tinker around a little bit. It's just basically an artistic 495 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:28,359 Speaker 1: fax machine at that point. Pretty much. Now, when we 496 00:28:28,400 --> 00:28:30,240 Speaker 1: get back from this break, I'm going to tell you 497 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:33,160 Speaker 1: how Wolfgang's inflated ego worked out for him in terms 498 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:58,320 Speaker 1: of sentencing. Oh, Zaren Elizabeth, Welcome to my crime flop house. Dude. 499 00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:00,320 Speaker 1: I'm really liking this ever since you left the crime 500 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: Dojo and you got this new crime floppers I mean, 501 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,600 Speaker 1: everything's well, it's a lot dirtier. I gotta say, well, there, 502 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:07,960 Speaker 1: you're going to get scabies from sitting on that, so yeah, 503 00:29:08,200 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure already have that. But I like you 504 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 1: apparently a lot more time to yourself now that you're 505 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 1: not cleaning all the time exactly. That's nice. I have 506 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:18,440 Speaker 1: a busy on the go lifes. So October twenty eleven 507 00:29:19,040 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: there was a forty day trial Wolfgang Beltrockey. He gets 508 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:26,360 Speaker 1: sentenced to six years, Helene gets sentenced to four. Both 509 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:29,720 Speaker 1: of these sentences were in open prisons. What does that mean. 510 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:32,440 Speaker 1: It meant that they went to work outside during the 511 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:35,400 Speaker 1: day and then check back in each night. So that's 512 00:29:35,440 --> 00:29:38,720 Speaker 1: like beyond work furlough because they just did their thing. Yeah, 513 00:29:38,800 --> 00:29:42,000 Speaker 1: so they're basically they just have to sleep in a prison. Yes, exactly, 514 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:45,240 Speaker 1: it's like a hotel. They just have a really crappy hotel. 515 00:29:45,320 --> 00:29:47,240 Speaker 1: That was their prison sentence. So they would like meet 516 00:29:47,320 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 1: up at the studio in the morning, hang out work 517 00:29:50,320 --> 00:29:52,080 Speaker 1: until it was time to get in separate cars, and 518 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:54,480 Speaker 1: then make their way back to prison. They would literally 519 00:29:54,560 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 1: drive next to each other on the freeway and then 520 00:29:56,560 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: one would have to get off in an exit and 521 00:29:57,920 --> 00:30:00,280 Speaker 1: they'd wave to each other. Are you kidding me? I'm 522 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: not kidding you. Wow, Europeans approach to prison, I mean 523 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:06,640 Speaker 1: I wish we had this type of approach to prison 524 00:30:06,680 --> 00:30:09,240 Speaker 1: for the non violent effects the world. Well, this is 525 00:30:09,280 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: what the judge said. Quote to clear up any confusion, 526 00:30:12,400 --> 00:30:15,600 Speaker 1: Mister Beltrocky has agreed to take back all his forgeries 527 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 1: and return them to their owners, signed this time with 528 00:30:18,440 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 1: his own name. Some slacks the right name on these things, 529 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:27,440 Speaker 1: so Wolfgang, Um, he agreed to paint only in his 530 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:30,000 Speaker 1: own name moving forward. No, wait with Steve, you said 531 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,920 Speaker 1: Steve Martin was one of his victims. Yeah, did he 532 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 1: come forward in this like, I don't know. I was 533 00:30:35,400 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 1: wondering if he was like angry about it, because he 534 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:39,520 Speaker 1: seems a little prickly sometimes. Yeah, I know it doesn't he? Yeah? Yeah, 535 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,840 Speaker 1: God bless him. Um, So he said I can They 536 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:44,960 Speaker 1: told him you can only paint in your own name 537 00:30:45,200 --> 00:30:48,400 Speaker 1: going forward, because it goes back to remember with elmir 538 00:30:48,440 --> 00:30:50,480 Speaker 1: it was like, did you actually signed it? That's whole 539 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:52,480 Speaker 1: thing about a forgery is if you if you don't 540 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: sign it to deceive exactly. So it's the signature that 541 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:58,800 Speaker 1: makes the forgery. Um. And then he also had to 542 00:30:58,840 --> 00:31:01,320 Speaker 1: move from Germany to France. They just like kicked him 543 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:03,760 Speaker 1: out of Germany. You're out of here, buddy, I mean, 544 00:31:03,520 --> 00:31:06,240 Speaker 1: I bet you ran this by like this law about 545 00:31:06,520 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 1: copyright law and having to put your name on a painting. 546 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:11,480 Speaker 1: If you ran that by a sovereign citizen, they probably 547 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:13,520 Speaker 1: lose their mind because it's all about the law and 548 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:17,680 Speaker 1: the name. Like, this is what happened? Man? Did they 549 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,520 Speaker 1: take your name and that's your identity? You're like, oh, brother, 550 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:22,840 Speaker 1: this is great. Keep going. Oh my god, I love 551 00:31:22,920 --> 00:31:31,080 Speaker 1: sovereigns like in the abstract. Sorry, so Bell Tracky right 552 00:31:31,200 --> 00:31:34,160 Speaker 1: he um, oh, I forgot to tell you otto he 553 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,160 Speaker 1: got five years and Jeanette got a twenty one month 554 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,680 Speaker 1: suspended sentence. Oh so she doesn't even have to sleep 555 00:31:39,720 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: in prison. No, she just has to wear like a 556 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:45,000 Speaker 1: cool bracelet. Um. So after he got out of prison, 557 00:31:45,080 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: Bell Tracky admitted in all these interviews that he actually 558 00:31:47,880 --> 00:31:51,400 Speaker 1: forged maybe fifty different artists. He's like, there were a 559 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:53,240 Speaker 1: lot more, Buddy. I like how he just keeps wanting 560 00:31:53,240 --> 00:31:55,520 Speaker 1: to flex something. But totally. He also just took me 561 00:31:55,560 --> 00:31:57,760 Speaker 1: at ten minutes they had in ballpark. How many did 562 00:31:57,800 --> 00:31:59,920 Speaker 1: you sell? He's like, I don't know, thousand, two thousands 563 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:05,280 Speaker 1: could be, but he wouldn't disclose the exact number or 564 00:32:05,320 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 1: like the locations of This is what he said in 565 00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:11,640 Speaker 1: an interview. He said, wouldn't it be the height of 566 00:32:11,720 --> 00:32:13,720 Speaker 1: vanity if I were to tell you now where the 567 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 1: paintings could still be hanging. So I mean there's some 568 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:19,200 Speaker 1: still out there. Oh you know that in the Houston Museum. Three. 569 00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,440 Speaker 1: The magazine says, this isn't exactly what one imagines as 570 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: a full confession, Wolfgang, Wait a minute, I made a 571 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:29,360 Speaker 1: confession about the paintings that were the subject of the trial. 572 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:31,840 Speaker 1: Aside from that, if the police had asked me at 573 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:33,959 Speaker 1: the time, I would have told them where the paintings were, 574 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:36,120 Speaker 1: at least as far as I knew. That's on the cops. Yeah, 575 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 1: they missed the boat on that had me on the stand. 576 00:32:39,720 --> 00:32:42,600 Speaker 1: So it was pretty much acknowledged that the galleries, the 577 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: auction houses, they all turned a blind eye to pretty 578 00:32:45,680 --> 00:32:48,080 Speaker 1: obvious clues. We keep hearing this, Oh well there. It 579 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,440 Speaker 1: wasn't just fake labels. They were misspelled names and like 580 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:53,920 Speaker 1: frames that didn't match the pictures that were supposed to 581 00:32:53,920 --> 00:32:56,400 Speaker 1: be made out of the same wood. The money was 582 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:58,880 Speaker 1: too good though for everyone involved. Well, I was just 583 00:32:58,920 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 1: like a target print you get for a dorm room. 584 00:33:01,520 --> 00:33:03,440 Speaker 1: They've been painted over. It was like one of those 585 00:33:03,520 --> 00:33:07,680 Speaker 1: kids in the big hats, like holding a rose. So 586 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 1: they could increase the value though tenfold, between buying from 587 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,560 Speaker 1: Helene and then selling it at auctions, so of course 588 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:15,960 Speaker 1: they're not going to pass it up. That's what I 589 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:20,200 Speaker 1: keep saying. This is what journalist Henrik van Spresshart said, 590 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:23,520 Speaker 1: a little more detective work at the right time could 591 00:33:23,560 --> 00:33:27,000 Speaker 1: have exposed the so called yagers and knops collections. But 592 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: something in the art market seems to resist, almost hysterically, 593 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:35,280 Speaker 1: any discussion or disclosure ranks. They're like, how do you 594 00:33:35,320 --> 00:33:38,320 Speaker 1: think we move all this money? Come on now, so 595 00:33:38,520 --> 00:33:41,120 Speaker 1: Wolfgang he accused the galleries and the art houses of 596 00:33:41,160 --> 00:33:44,479 Speaker 1: being consumed with quote greed and depravity in their mission 597 00:33:44,480 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 1: to acquire these high dollar pieces. Per der Spiegel, German 598 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:53,040 Speaker 1: news magazine, quote doubts are bad for business. A dealer 599 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:55,760 Speaker 1: who buys a painting for one hundred thousand euros but 600 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:58,120 Speaker 1: knows that he can sell it for two hundred thousand 601 00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:00,800 Speaker 1: or three hundred thousand euros post doesn't want to ask 602 00:34:00,840 --> 00:34:03,640 Speaker 1: too many questions about its origin. So you got from 603 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:06,720 Speaker 1: every angle everyone's pointing out like this is all big racket. 604 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:09,200 Speaker 1: We all know. As long as everyone gets their beak wet, 605 00:34:09,280 --> 00:34:11,319 Speaker 1: no one cares, right, But you know, there were those 606 00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:15,640 Speaker 1: who paid high non monetary costs thanks to the fraud 607 00:34:16,080 --> 00:34:21,279 Speaker 1: reputations were damaged. Oh so art scholar Andrea Ferminich of 608 00:34:21,440 --> 00:34:26,040 Speaker 1: bon She was called to examine a supposed compendanc piece. 609 00:34:26,320 --> 00:34:30,879 Speaker 1: Oh yes, it should be stated that Compendonk produced over 610 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:34,799 Speaker 1: twelve hundred works. Damn well, factory Compendonk. Yeah, there are 611 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:37,359 Speaker 1: so it's like really easy to say, like this could 612 00:34:37,360 --> 00:34:39,720 Speaker 1: have been lost in the shuffle. But there were also 613 00:34:39,800 --> 00:34:42,360 Speaker 1: two other experts who were called in to look at 614 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 1: the same piece. This is what she said, quote no 615 00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:48,040 Speaker 1: expert is immune from mistakes. The damage to my person 616 00:34:48,200 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 1: is so big that I'm not able to say anything 617 00:34:50,560 --> 00:34:53,640 Speaker 1: quote official. The damage for the experts of art is 618 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:56,640 Speaker 1: so enormous, and the public understanding of BELTROCKI as a 619 00:34:56,719 --> 00:34:59,920 Speaker 1: hero so absurd that I hope you can understand my opinion. 620 00:35:01,360 --> 00:35:05,880 Speaker 1: Another one, your buddy Werner Spice. He was another casualty 621 00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:08,160 Speaker 1: of it. He was referred to as one of the 622 00:35:08,160 --> 00:35:12,759 Speaker 1: most influential art historians of the twentieth century. Sky was huge. 623 00:35:13,040 --> 00:35:17,120 Speaker 1: He was a friend to both Max Ernst and Pablo Picasso, 624 00:35:17,320 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 1: and he was an expert on both of their catalogs 625 00:35:19,520 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 1: of work. So Wolfgang comes along, DUP's Spice gets him 626 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:27,680 Speaker 1: to issue certificates of authenticity for five works that were 627 00:35:27,760 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 1: supposedly by Ernst. One of the certificates was for the 628 00:35:31,600 --> 00:35:38,560 Speaker 1: fake Lafouette Deum Spice put controversial Swiss art dealer Eve's Bouvier. 629 00:35:39,040 --> 00:35:42,560 Speaker 1: I mean, we all know about his kind in contact 630 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:45,520 Speaker 1: with Helene and so they sold the piece to a 631 00:35:45,560 --> 00:35:49,239 Speaker 1: private company for two point three million dollars and the 632 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:52,640 Speaker 1: painting was then sold to New York publisher Daniel Philippacci 633 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:58,560 Speaker 1: for seven million. Wow. Yeah. In two thousand and four, 634 00:35:58,960 --> 00:36:04,399 Speaker 1: Spice authentic hated an alleged Max Ernst painting tromblemndetail, and 635 00:36:04,560 --> 00:36:06,480 Speaker 1: the painting was sold to a collector for more than 636 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:09,560 Speaker 1: six hundred and fifty thousand euros. And then in May 637 00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:13,040 Speaker 1: of twenty thirteen, Spice was convicted in order to payback 638 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:17,440 Speaker 1: that collector. Huh so. The decision, though, was overturned by 639 00:36:17,440 --> 00:36:20,880 Speaker 1: the Court of Appeal of Versailles. They stated that Spies 640 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:26,440 Speaker 1: had quote expressed an opinion outside of the determined transaction unquote, 641 00:36:26,560 --> 00:36:29,800 Speaker 1: and could not therefore be quote charged with a responsibility 642 00:36:29,840 --> 00:36:32,880 Speaker 1: equivalent to that of an expert consulted in the context 643 00:36:32,920 --> 00:36:35,440 Speaker 1: of a sale. Quite understands that basically saying, in his 644 00:36:35,440 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 1: professional capacity he was he wasn't doing as part of 645 00:36:38,400 --> 00:36:42,160 Speaker 1: the actual sale itself. So the court said that a 646 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:45,440 Speaker 1: quote cannot be required of the author of a catalog 647 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:49,319 Speaker 1: Reisen to subject each work in a catalog published under 648 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:53,920 Speaker 1: his responsibility to the execution of a scientific expert assessment, 649 00:36:54,200 --> 00:36:56,719 Speaker 1: which requires the removal of fragments of the work and 650 00:36:56,760 --> 00:36:59,759 Speaker 1: represents a significant cost. Okay, so they're basically saying he 651 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:01,920 Speaker 1: did go up to this this criteria, and no one 652 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 1: expected them because he didn't say that. He didn't say 653 00:37:04,040 --> 00:37:06,960 Speaker 1: I analyzed it right. And while he may have created 654 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:11,920 Speaker 1: this catalog reison, they for Ernst, Yeah, he just based 655 00:37:11,920 --> 00:37:13,759 Speaker 1: on looking at it. How could he have known you'd 656 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:15,719 Speaker 1: actually have to like, that's how good. It's more of 657 00:37:15,760 --> 00:37:20,600 Speaker 1: a curatorial catalog exactly. So Spicy ended up facing a 658 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:24,239 Speaker 1: civil lawsuit for certifying seven Max Ernst paintings. It turned 659 00:37:24,239 --> 00:37:26,040 Speaker 1: out to be faked. So rich people are suing him. 660 00:37:26,080 --> 00:37:28,600 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and it totally tarnished this reputation that he 661 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:32,560 Speaker 1: had built over more than half a century. In twenty fourteen, 662 00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,799 Speaker 1: Wolfgang in Helene, they collected those letters that they'd sent 663 00:37:36,840 --> 00:37:40,440 Speaker 1: each other and had them published into a book. Oh wow, 664 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:42,839 Speaker 1: So they did like a whole letters between Henry Miller 665 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:46,040 Speaker 1: and Annias and Inn and they also wrote an autobiography. Yeah, 666 00:37:46,040 --> 00:37:48,400 Speaker 1: they're a little duly because of course I got to 667 00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:50,640 Speaker 1: write a book. It's what you do in prison, Elizabeth, 668 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:53,600 Speaker 1: you write books. But how look how fun it was 669 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:56,040 Speaker 1: until you got to like the people whose careers they Yeah, 670 00:37:56,120 --> 00:37:57,759 Speaker 1: I know. This is the one thing is like, you know, 671 00:37:57,840 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 1: meach as long as people aren't getting hurt by a crime. 672 00:37:59,640 --> 00:38:01,440 Speaker 1: I don't crime, but people are getting hurt by this 673 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:04,279 Speaker 1: crime was like Sokom when these like rich people fall 674 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:06,360 Speaker 1: for it. But then yeah, at least yeah, well the exam. 675 00:38:06,480 --> 00:38:08,279 Speaker 1: I don't mind separating a fool from their money if 676 00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:10,839 Speaker 1: it doesn't actually hurt the fool, right, true, I will, 677 00:38:11,120 --> 00:38:14,160 Speaker 1: I will say that every time. So a documentary about 678 00:38:14,160 --> 00:38:17,480 Speaker 1: the couple was made in twenty fourteen called Beltracky The 679 00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:20,600 Speaker 1: Art of Forgery. It got a German Film Award for 680 00:38:20,640 --> 00:38:26,280 Speaker 1: Best Documentary. It was by Arnip Birkenstock. No, his father 681 00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:29,520 Speaker 1: Ryanhart Birkenstock, founder of the shoe company. No, it was 682 00:38:29,600 --> 00:38:32,640 Speaker 1: legal counsel for the Beltracky's. Wait a minute, so their 683 00:38:32,719 --> 00:38:36,400 Speaker 1: lawyer's kid made a documentary and they were all wearing Burkey. 684 00:38:37,680 --> 00:38:40,520 Speaker 1: It's not an easy documentary to track down, but thanks 685 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:42,719 Speaker 1: to my library card, and if you don't have one, 686 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:45,120 Speaker 1: I don't know what's wrong with you. I was able 687 00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:47,360 Speaker 1: to watch it through Canopy, which is a nap or 688 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:51,360 Speaker 1: canopy dot com. So in it, Wolfgang waxes about the 689 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:54,200 Speaker 1: Fauvis and how they went to the south of France 690 00:38:54,239 --> 00:38:56,479 Speaker 1: and they painted things that no one had ever painted before, 691 00:38:56,480 --> 00:38:58,480 Speaker 1: in a way that no one had painted, capturing light 692 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:00,680 Speaker 1: and the way people hadn't seen it. And so he 693 00:39:00,719 --> 00:39:02,919 Speaker 1: talks about how much he would have loved to be there, 694 00:39:03,280 --> 00:39:05,600 Speaker 1: as if it's only time that prevents him from doing 695 00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:08,600 Speaker 1: something wholly new. You know, he's like, God, if I 696 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:10,440 Speaker 1: were there, I could have been one of these guys, 697 00:39:10,520 --> 00:39:14,000 Speaker 1: like seeing these modern takes on everything. Oh well, I 698 00:39:14,080 --> 00:39:16,880 Speaker 1: can't go back in time, ally, buddy, look around right, 699 00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:19,399 Speaker 1: how about you try it now? Hit a brand new 700 00:39:19,440 --> 00:39:23,120 Speaker 1: moment right now, here's rom dos. He'll explain it to you. 701 00:39:24,080 --> 00:39:26,760 Speaker 1: So he's really boastful about his skills. He said, quote, 702 00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,640 Speaker 1: there's nothing I couldn't paint. I could paint anything. And 703 00:39:29,680 --> 00:39:32,200 Speaker 1: then when he's asked about all the various old masters 704 00:39:32,239 --> 00:39:34,840 Speaker 1: and like classical artists, that he could replicate. He affirms 705 00:39:34,880 --> 00:39:37,799 Speaker 1: each one listed to him, even quote, I could paint 706 00:39:37,800 --> 00:39:41,800 Speaker 1: a new Leonardo. He calls him like simple, like oh Leonardo. 707 00:39:41,880 --> 00:39:44,720 Speaker 1: So I like that after he took down his father 708 00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:49,640 Speaker 1: as an artist, no artist was said anybody I'll take 709 00:39:49,680 --> 00:39:52,680 Speaker 1: down You will take down your father. Well, the craziest 710 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:55,319 Speaker 1: part about the documentary is that the crew follows both 711 00:39:55,360 --> 00:39:57,520 Speaker 1: Wolfgang and Helene as they spend the day in the 712 00:39:57,600 --> 00:39:59,960 Speaker 1: studio and then buzz off back to jail in the evening. 713 00:40:00,280 --> 00:40:02,120 Speaker 1: That's how I got to see them driving next to 714 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:04,680 Speaker 1: each other. You actually got to see them do it. Yes, 715 00:40:05,000 --> 00:40:07,600 Speaker 1: Why does he do in the studio all day? Pretty 716 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:10,200 Speaker 1: much what he was always doing. So he gets these old, 717 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:14,080 Speaker 1: mediocre paintings, he strips them down to the canvas, paints 718 00:40:14,080 --> 00:40:17,560 Speaker 1: a forgery, ages it artificially, like there's one he gets 719 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:20,040 Speaker 1: this canvas from Barcelona, and he's like shoving lint and 720 00:40:20,200 --> 00:40:22,960 Speaker 1: dust and dirt behind the canvas stretcher so that if 721 00:40:23,000 --> 00:40:26,960 Speaker 1: someone were to look down. He recreates taking those phony 722 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:30,080 Speaker 1: pictures from the twenties down to even creating a makeshift 723 00:40:30,160 --> 00:40:32,680 Speaker 1: parlor for his wife to sit in, posing in front 724 00:40:32,719 --> 00:40:34,480 Speaker 1: of the fakes. So I suppose he's doing that for 725 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:36,319 Speaker 1: the film crew, but it's like, this is what you're 726 00:40:36,320 --> 00:40:40,400 Speaker 1: out of jail doing, like faking it up. So anyway, 727 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:43,040 Speaker 1: he goes to this dinner party and one of his 728 00:40:43,120 --> 00:40:45,359 Speaker 1: friends said that he heard a rumor that Wolfgang had 729 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:50,839 Speaker 1: invested in quote ocular prosthetics in the United States. Ocular prosthetics. 730 00:40:50,920 --> 00:40:54,320 Speaker 1: It's a little too close to Baron Bruno right right 731 00:40:54,440 --> 00:40:56,640 Speaker 1: on other ocular prosthetic is a glass of one of 732 00:40:56,640 --> 00:41:00,399 Speaker 1: our old episodes. A little too close for comfort, I say. So. 733 00:41:00,640 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 1: He paints portraits of other inmates when he's in jail, 734 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:05,720 Speaker 1: and they all seem to want him to learn to tattoo, 735 00:41:06,520 --> 00:41:09,359 Speaker 1: and he declined. One of the when he's declining, there's 736 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:12,640 Speaker 1: a really uncomfortable moment when Wolfgang talks about how if 737 00:41:12,640 --> 00:41:15,160 Speaker 1: he tattooed the guys that art collectors would want to 738 00:41:15,160 --> 00:41:18,800 Speaker 1: take their skin when they die, worse than the banks. 739 00:41:18,880 --> 00:41:21,359 Speaker 1: We would take this wall. Wait, the dude that he's 740 00:41:21,400 --> 00:41:24,879 Speaker 1: painting says, I'd make it into a lampshade. Oh, now, 741 00:41:24,880 --> 00:41:27,200 Speaker 1: if you're German, you may want to be careful about 742 00:41:27,200 --> 00:41:32,400 Speaker 1: that kind of ref more than may. So it's so uncomfortable. Anyway, 743 00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:36,400 Speaker 1: what's Wolfgang doing Now, um, let's see he is in 744 00:41:36,920 --> 00:41:40,000 Speaker 1: crypto coin. You're so close? Oh really? Well he does 745 00:41:40,000 --> 00:41:43,719 Speaker 1: speaking engagement and then he creates work under his own 746 00:41:43,800 --> 00:41:48,480 Speaker 1: name NFTs. Ah, I should have gone one step over 747 00:41:48,560 --> 00:41:50,840 Speaker 1: on the scams. I know. In twenty twenty one, he 748 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:54,680 Speaker 1: released a series of NFTs called The Greats, and he 749 00:41:54,840 --> 00:41:59,880 Speaker 1: reimagined Leonardo da Vinci's Salvador Mundi in the style of 750 00:42:00,160 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 1: other artists like Vincent van Gogh and Andy Warhol. That's interesting. 751 00:42:04,200 --> 00:42:06,640 Speaker 1: So he does like a master work and then has 752 00:42:06,680 --> 00:42:10,640 Speaker 1: all the other master painters do this master work their way. Well, 753 00:42:10,680 --> 00:42:13,200 Speaker 1: there's a promotional like an MTV kind of thing, kind 754 00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:16,480 Speaker 1: of Yeah, there's a promotional video for it that says, quote, 755 00:42:16,920 --> 00:42:20,200 Speaker 1: armed with over sixty years of experience, he is the 756 00:42:20,239 --> 00:42:23,040 Speaker 1: only person who has the crucial knowledge and skills to 757 00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:26,840 Speaker 1: pull this off. The armed. Yeah, he's armed and dangerous. 758 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: They add that the NFTs will see him quote become 759 00:42:30,120 --> 00:42:34,080 Speaker 1: part of history himself. Yeah. You love these hype things, 760 00:42:34,120 --> 00:42:36,080 Speaker 1: Like the people get paid to write these things. I 761 00:42:36,239 --> 00:42:38,319 Speaker 1: just like I want to pat them on the back. 762 00:42:38,760 --> 00:42:42,520 Speaker 1: Look at you, you you can paid nonsense. Now here's my takeaway. Sure, 763 00:42:43,160 --> 00:42:45,680 Speaker 1: I like to cheer on the forgers, but I feel 764 00:42:45,680 --> 00:42:50,040 Speaker 1: bad for the authentic. Yeah. And also, our researcher Andrea 765 00:42:50,120 --> 00:42:53,759 Speaker 1: sent me a great Pablo Picasso quote. If the counterfeit 766 00:42:53,800 --> 00:42:56,239 Speaker 1: were a good one, I should be delighted. I'd sit 767 00:42:56,280 --> 00:43:00,239 Speaker 1: down straight away and sign it. Oh yes, I've heard yeah, 768 00:43:00,239 --> 00:43:02,480 Speaker 1: which it makes me wonder what the artists themselves would 769 00:43:02,520 --> 00:43:05,279 Speaker 1: make of all this. I think Picasso, you know, yeah, 770 00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:08,680 Speaker 1: like I'll take that joint. Zarin, what's your ridiculous takeaway? 771 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:13,440 Speaker 1: It's wild because like we've we've covered some of this, 772 00:43:13,440 --> 00:43:15,440 Speaker 1: which is that you have like a painter like Picasso 773 00:43:16,200 --> 00:43:19,600 Speaker 1: who is literally stealing his imagery from other works of 774 00:43:19,719 --> 00:43:22,359 Speaker 1: art and other people just don't know about, which isn't 775 00:43:22,400 --> 00:43:26,480 Speaker 1: counterfeit because that's the whole inspiration aspect. So the fact 776 00:43:26,520 --> 00:43:29,280 Speaker 1: that these other painters, like it's not that he's like lazy, 777 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:31,160 Speaker 1: because he's doing all kinds of work well, and it's 778 00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:33,520 Speaker 1: like every kind of style. It's not even like oh 779 00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:35,960 Speaker 1: I only do modernists or I only you know, he's 780 00:43:36,000 --> 00:43:38,480 Speaker 1: all over the place. But there's like one switch that 781 00:43:38,600 --> 00:43:41,279 Speaker 1: just gets kicked over in the wrong direction and then 782 00:43:41,280 --> 00:43:42,719 Speaker 1: all of a sudden he just does all of this 783 00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:45,680 Speaker 1: stuff as opposed to like taking all this abundant talent, 784 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:48,000 Speaker 1: and as we talked about looking around the world and 785 00:43:48,040 --> 00:43:51,279 Speaker 1: finding something, you know, commenting on that visually with his 786 00:43:51,320 --> 00:43:54,680 Speaker 1: own visual language. He's right there and he's like, Nah, 787 00:43:54,719 --> 00:43:57,759 Speaker 1: I'd rather be a jukebox machine of art and I'll 788 00:43:57,800 --> 00:43:59,319 Speaker 1: just play this hint, I'll playing that hitt, and I'll 789 00:43:59,360 --> 00:44:01,560 Speaker 1: just keep putting my own buttons. Well. And we've talked 790 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:04,400 Speaker 1: about this before, the difference between like artists and artisan 791 00:44:04,600 --> 00:44:07,560 Speaker 1: basically like are you a draftsman or are you an artist? 792 00:44:07,680 --> 00:44:11,880 Speaker 1: So that's it. That's all I have. Volve's gang. I 793 00:44:11,880 --> 00:44:13,600 Speaker 1: did like that he took his wife's name. That is 794 00:44:13,600 --> 00:44:16,400 Speaker 1: pretty cool. Cool, Yeah, good for him. That's all I 795 00:44:16,440 --> 00:44:19,600 Speaker 1: have for today. You can find us online at Ridiculous Crime, 796 00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:22,279 Speaker 1: on both Twitter and Instagram. Email us if you'd like 797 00:44:22,360 --> 00:44:26,240 Speaker 1: at Ridiculous Crime at gmail dot com, download the iHeart 798 00:44:26,239 --> 00:44:28,399 Speaker 1: app and leave us at talk back I double Dare 799 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:36,400 Speaker 1: you tune in next time? Ridiculous Crime is hosted by 800 00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:40,120 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Dutton and Zarin Burnett, produced and edited by Authenticator 801 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:44,000 Speaker 1: of Authenticators Dave Kusten. Research is by Angry art collector 802 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:48,160 Speaker 1: Marissa Brown and Suspicious auctioneer Andrea song sharpened here. The 803 00:44:48,160 --> 00:44:51,800 Speaker 1: theme song is by Thomas I Have Photographic Proof Lee 804 00:44:51,840 --> 00:44:54,880 Speaker 1: and Travis urnst you glad I didn't paint it Dutton. 805 00:44:55,400 --> 00:44:58,879 Speaker 1: Executive producers are Christie's auction House Experts put on administrative 806 00:44:58,960 --> 00:45:06,480 Speaker 1: leave and Definitely and Bollen and Noll Brown. We decreas 807 00:45:07,360 --> 00:45:12,759 Speaker 1: QUI so you one more time. We dequeus Crow. Ridiculous 808 00:45:12,760 --> 00:45:15,680 Speaker 1: Crime is a production of iHeartRadio. Four more podcasts to 809 00:45:15,719 --> 00:45:18,880 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 810 00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:20,640 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.