A Notorious Forger Goes Back To Work

“Ten months ago, Robert Thwaites was jailed for two years for audacious frauds that stunned and embarrassed the art world. Desperate for money, the jobbing artist created paintings and passed them off as the work of John Anster Fitzgerald (circa 1823-1906), who conjured visions of a fairyland full of menacing spirits. Released on licence but under strict supervision, he is painting once more in the style of Fitzgerald. But, older, thinner and greyer, he said he now hoped to use his skills and the additional notoriety to create a legitimate career.’