NHK Special's popular series "Unsolved Cases" is being broadcast regularly (General TV, Saturdays at 10pm). On November 22nd, they will be broadcasting "File 07: The Beltracchi Counterfeiting Incident - The Unparalleled Conman Who Deceived the World."
"File 07" investigates a massive fraud case committed by Wolfgang Beltracchi, a German counterfeiter, resulting in losses totaling approximately 4 billion yen. Beltracchi's counterfeits were once sold at auction for approximately 800 million yen. His methods are unique. Rather than simply copying existing works, he creates "original counterfeits" by immersing himself in the artist's persona. He is so thorough that he sometimes travels to the locations where the original artist painted their works, reliving their lives and even imitating their painting posture. He also cleverly falsifies the paintings' provenance, fooling even a well-known auction house.
In Japan, paintings purchased by public art museums with large amounts of tax money have been found to be fakes one after another. 89 counterfeit works believed to be by Beltracchi have been identified. Of these, 32 are still missing. This program has exclusive access to documents from the investigative authorities. By thoroughly tracking the missing paintings, shocking facts are revealed. We delve into the repercussions and mystery of the case.
"Unsolved Cases" is a popular series on NHK Special that began airing in 2011 and unravels historical cases through thorough investigative reporting. It will begin airing as a regular program in October, unearthing new facts and testimonies, while also highlighting connections to the present day and lessons learned. Announcer Mayuko Wakuda will serve as the Caster and main narrator.
