'Project Elmyr de Hory: Fake!' at the Circulo de bellas Artes

Elmyr de Hory

Until May 12th the Circulo de Bellas Artes presents the exhibition 'Project Elmyr de Hory: Fake!' from Tuesdays to Saturdays from 11:00 to 14:00 and from 17:00 to 21:00; on Sundays and holidays from 11:00 to 14:00.

Dolores Duran is the curator of the exhibition.

Elmyr de Hory was born in Hungary. He always said that his family belonged to the aristocracy, but it is believed that his father was a trader. They were Jewish and probably killed during World War II. Elmyr de Hory told that he was injured and escaped from the hospital.
Just by chance he sold one of his drawings to a friend who thought it was a Picasso. As she afterwards sold it for much more money he did not feel too guilty about the fraud. Afterwards it was an easy way for him to get money whenever he needed it.
He travelled to many countries and when problems arose, he just left for the next one.
He met Fernand Legros and Real Lessard who became his art dealers. They sold many of his fake paintings. Elmyr de Hory was also deceived by them as they sold his paintings for much more than they had paid him.

Elmyr de Hory, painted like Monet

He painted over thousand fake paintings, although he did not think they were fakes, as he painted them 'like' a certain painter. He thought of himseld as a victim of art and dealers.

Elmyr de Hory's story is best known through two sources. On one hand his biography written by Clifford Irving (Fake! The story of Elmyr de Hory: the greatest Art Forger of Our Time). It is interesting to state that Irving was put into prison because he had written a false 'autobiography' of Howard Hughes. Another fake.

The other source is Orson Welles' movie 'F for Fake', were nothing is true and nothing is false.

For the exhibition other sources have been investigated in order to present the most realistic image of de Hory.

The idea behind this exhibition goes farther than the simple presentation of a fake. What does art really look for: beauty or the signature of a certain painter?

Photographies: Rafael Castañeda Fotografía

@Copyright 2008, 2009 Mª Dolores Diehl Busch. All rights reserved.
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