Konrad Kujau was the forger responsible for creating the Hitler Diaries. After he served his prison sentence, he became something of a minor celebrity in Germany, and his "authentic fakes" of famous paintings became sought after in their own right by collectors. Kujau died in 2000, but now his great-niece, Petra, has been charged with selling hundreds of fakes of his fakes. The Times reports that:

Petra Kujau, 47, faces fraud charges for selling at least 500 fake Kujaus to clients worldwide through an internet auction site for more than €550,000 (£381,000). Some of the oil paintings, bought from art schools in Asia for as little as €10 apiece, fetched up to €3,500 because the Kujau signature inflated their value.

I wonder if these fake Kujau forgeries will now also become collector's items? I wouldn't mind having one to hang in my office, but only if I can get it for €10, not €3,500.

Posted by Big Gary in Uncertain, Texas  in  Dallas, Texas, USA  on  Mon Apr 24, 2006  at  03:27 PM

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Posted by Alex  in  San Diego  on  Mon Apr 24, 2006  at  07:12 PM

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