An Interview with Genius Art Forger Tony Tetro

An Interview with Genius Art Forger.

- Scott Verchin

Tony Tetro was the world’s greatest art forger in the 1970’s and 1980’s. In a career spanning over 30 years, Tetro forged works by old and contemporary masters in every genre. From Chagall to Rembrandt to Dali to Rothko, his extraordinary talent was to create works so real, so plausible, that they appeased even the closest scrutiny of the most discerning eyes. Tetro’s works were regularly passed off as legitimate works in museums, galleries, and auction houses around the world. Los Angeles District Attorney Ira Reiner called Tony, “the single largest forger of art works in America.” In 1989, Tetro was convicted of art forgery in a show trial in Los Angeles. He was released from jail in 1994. Currently he executes master copies for an exclusive list of elite clients from his studio in Southern California.

Hello Tony, We appreciate the time that you're giving here for this interview, and in this interview, we would like to focus on your ability and skills to create amazing pieces of work. I see your ability to fake art as impressive.

Scott: So let's talk about how it all started from your perspective, your background and what lead to this road of art forgery?