Elmyr de Hory

Born 1905, Hungary, died 1976

Elymr (pronounced el-meer) is considered one of the greatest art forgers of the 20th century, a flamboyant Hungarian who claimed to have sold more than 1,000 fakes to galleries and museums around the world. After a jail sentence in Spain, he was kicked out of the country and told his story with Clifford Irving in a 1969 book, Fake!. A master of many styles, he claimed to have passed off paintings by such artists as Picasso, Modigliani and Matisse, causing a scandal in the world of art and its experts. He apparently committed suicide in 1976, although some believe he faked that, too. Elymr is featured in the Orson Welles film F for Fake (1974) and the documentary Masterpiece or Forgery? (1997).