Wolfgang Beltracchi Quotes

Germany, Artist
February 4, 1951

Wolfgang Beltracchi is a German art forger and artist who has admitted to forging hundreds of paintings in an international art scam netting millions of euros. Beltracchi, together with his wife Helene, sold forgeries of original works by famous artists, including Max Ernst, Heinrich Campendonk, Fernand Léger and Kees van Dongen. Though he was found guilty for forging 14 works of art that sold for a combined $45m (£28.6m), he claims to have faked "about 50" artists. The total estimated profits Beltracchi made from his forgeries surpasses $100m

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
- Morning
- Coats
- Tourists
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
- Artist
- Creative
- Courses

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
- Heart
- Talent
- Decided
I can paint anything. Leonardo? Of course. But why? You couldn't sell it.

Wolfgang Beltracchi
- Paint
- Courses
- Leonardo
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
Most forgers are caught because they tell the wrong person about what they do.

Wolfgang Beltracchi
- Persons
- Wrong
- Caught
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
- People
- Artist
- Criminals
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

The trick is to paint a picture that doesn't exist, and yet that fits perfectly into an artist's body of work.

Wolfgang Beltracchi
- Artist
- Body
- Paint
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
- Children
- School
- Painting