Spanish Forger. The Spanish Forger is the name given to an unidentified individual who, in the late 19th to early 20th century, created a large number of forgeries of medieval miniatures.
The Spanish Forger's works were painted on vellum or parchment leaves of genuine medieval books, using either blank margins or scraping off the original writing. He also completed unfinished miniatures or added missing miniatures in medieval choir books.
His works fooled many experts and collectors at the time and appear today in the collections of many museums and libraries. Over 200 forgeries have been identified.
As recently as 1930, the Forger was believed to be of Spanish origin. This is due to the fact that one of his first identified forgeries was attributed as a genuine work by Jorge Inglés, a Spanish artist who was active during the 15th century.
However, when one considers the provenance of the Forger's pieces along with many of the medieval collectible miniatures of the period, Paris was the center of purchasing, selling, and forging. A number of his forged miniatures have been identified as copied, with modifications, from those published in several French books dating to the 1870-1880s. His works were very deceptive when created, but over time it has been recognized that the faces of individuals in his pictures have sugary expressions inconsistent with genuine medieval illuminations. Some of his
The Spanish Forger's works were painted on vellum or parchment leaves of genuine medieval books, using either blank margins or scraping off the original writing. He also completed unfinished miniatures or added missing miniatures in medieval choir books.
His works fooled many experts and collectors at the time and appear today in the collections of many museums and libraries. Over 200 forgeries have been identified.
As recently as 1930, the Forger was believed to be of Spanish origin. This is due to the fact that one of his first identified forgeries was attributed as a genuine work by Jorge Inglés, a Spanish artist who was active during the 15th century.
However, when one considers the provenance of the Forger's pieces along with many of the medieval collectible miniatures of the period, Paris was the center of purchasing, selling, and forging. A number of his forged miniatures have been identified as copied, with modifications, from those published in several French books dating to the 1870-1880s. His works were very deceptive when created, but over time it has been recognized that the faces of individuals in his pictures have sugary expressions inconsistent with genuine medieval illuminations. Some of his
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