Ever since I retired, I've had plenty of time on my hands. I soon realized I needed a hobby - something to not only keep me busy but motivated. I needed a reason to get up in the morning.

A visit to a local art museum rekindled an interest I once had in painting from many years ago, then cast aside to make room for the daily trials and tribulations of life – work, marriage, kids, etc. Since these things and more than half of my life were behind me, I had the freedom to paint again.

More than painting, I never ceased to have a serious interest in art history. I continued to read books and monographs on numerous artists and visited museums and art galleries as often as possible.

I was always fascinated by early 20th-century French painters, especially Matisse, Bonnard, and Raoul Duffy. I soon found myself painting still lifes in a style that looked like a cross between impressionism and fauvism. My colors were natural but enhanced.

As I continued to paint, my palette took on a primitive tonality and charm. The paintings reminded me of my favorite artist, Henri Matisse. I seemed to possess a knack for making pictures that resembled works by the famous French artist. Let's face it, he wasn't difficult to imitate, at least not for me.

Then I had a crazy idea. Why not try to pass off one of my paintings for an original Matisse? Of course, I would have to use vintage canvas, stretchers, and oil paints. I understood that all too well from my studies in art history. I wasn't able to find old, unused canvas and paints. So, I had to use contemporary materials and artificially age them through a delicate process I adapted from what I had learned in a materials and techniques course I took in college.

After much experimentation, I finally developed what I thought was a vintage-looking canvas. I painted a still life on the little canvas and put the paints through an aging process that I had perfected. To test my efforts, I brought the piece to an art gallery in the city.

Of course, anyone who has ever forged a work of art knows that the first rule of forgery is never to copy an existing painting but to produce a piece in the style of a master artist. The forger, an artist in his own right, must convince a buyer or a dealer that the painting is an original but unknown painting by the master. The forger must not only be a superb craftsman but a cunning and artfully deceitful salesman as well.

The art dealer took my fake Matisse painting on consignment. Two weeks later, it sold for 1.7 million dollars. I was stunned, but that didn't stop me from collecting my 60% of the loot.

I tried my hand a second time but I was unlucky. Now, I sketch the view from the tiny window of my prison cell.

Story Copyright © 2023 by Michael DeFrancesco

Paintings by Joseph DeFrancesco used by permission of Joseph DeFrancesco