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I went to the flea market in the morning and charged tourists money to take pictures of me. I looked pretty wild, with hair down to my waist, Indian robes, a floor-length fur coat. There must be lots of photos of me out there.
Wolfgang Beltracchi -
I can paint anything. Leonardo? Of course. But why? You couldn't sell it.
Wolfgang Beltracchi
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I never decided to become an art forger. I was aware of my talent at an early age, and I used it foolishly. This developed over the years. In my heart, I don't see myself as a criminal.
Wolfgang Beltracchi -
For the cynic, art is defined through money. That, of course, is a very sad statement. But an artist is someone who does creative things.
Wolfgang Beltracchi -
The interesting thing is that in everyday life, I fail to see the most ordinary things. I often stumble and sometimes I even fall over. But when I draw or look at a painting, I go into a sort of overdrive and just see things differently than other people.
Wolfgang Beltracchi -
Every philharmonic orchestra merely interprets the composer. My goal was to create new music by that composer. In doing so, I wanted to find the painter's creative center and become familiar with it, so that I could see through his eyes how his paintings came about and, of course, see the new picture I was painting through his eyes - before I even painted it.
Wolfgang Beltracchi -
Fame never interested me. I could have exhibited more of my own works in the 1970s, but I didn't want to. It's sort of like being a child. When you're finished with school, you have only one thing on your mind: to get out and experience life. Did I want to spend all my time working on a painting? No, I wanted to have fun, travel, meet women and live life.
Wolfgang Beltracchi -
One is a criminal to some people and an artist to others. I can understand that. In a legal sense, I am a convicted criminal.
Wolfgang Beltracchi