John Myatt | Monet in Venice

JOHN MYATT

FOR EWORD

Viewing John Myatt’s artwork is like peering into the hearts and minds of the masters. Anyone would say the likeness is uncanny. But his talent extends far beyond its extrinsic magnificence. It’s a visual ode—an illustrative love letter to the craft, showcasing years of graft, gusto, and uninhibited dedication.The latest addition to his Genuine Fakes collection is no exception. Monet in Venice sees Myatt emulate the themes of one of the most revered Impressionist artists in history, Claude Monet, during a time considered to be the last of his great painting campaigns. To fully immerse himself into Monet’s lived experience, Myatt travelled to Venice to capture the city’s historic beauty.“It was one of the most exceptional painting expeditions I’ve ever undertaken, like a dream,” he remarked.“It is one thing to study Monet’s painting first-hand, in a gallery perhaps, and look at the way he blended colour and tone. But it’s something else to stand where he stood and see what he saw and painted.” In Venice, Myatt stayed in a hotel that shares the view Monet himself would have had of the city during his time there, allowing the contemporary artist direct and invaluable insight into inspiration that birthed some of the Impressionist’s most iconic pieces. Not without irony, Monet considered the original series of over thirty canvases to be a complete failure.“The choice of subject, and the framing of the composition added to the decorative use of colour, leaves many to doubt Monet’s judgement of these works,” explained Myatt.“It was the autumn light

reflected on and off the water that he was trying so hard to capture. Having been there myself, I know how hard this can be.” Despite its difficulty, the immensely skilled contemporary artist was able to interpret and produce five limited edition artworks that perfectly evoke Monet’s dreamlike aesthetic.“I believe Monet said that the light in Venice was different to the light anywhere else, and of course, that is the sort of thing an artist would say. But there’s some truth in that.” Myatt describes the bluish-green and yellow palette of canals fencing the Gothic-style buildings as being utterly unique to Venice, something he wouldn’t have believed unless witnessing it with his own eyes. “You see the colour of the sky and the water and the light caught on the buildings reflected in the canals.The Gothic-style windows play tricks with the light on the water’s surface as the sun catches it.To see that in light and shadow, well… it’s priceless.” Skyrocketed to fame by Pierce Brosnan in the 1999 film,The Thomas Crown Affair,‘Sunset At San Giorgio Maggiore In The Style Of Claude Monet, 1908’ is a perfect depiction of the elusive autumn light reflected across the Venetian Lagoon.‘The Palazzo Dario In The Style Of Claude Monet, 1908’ strays away from Monet’s customary focus on water as seen through his iconic Water Lillies series, opting instead to create balance between the canal and Venetian architecture. The contrasting colours and striking curves of the Neo-classical buildings gently reflect in the soft strokes of undulating water.

Monet and his wife, who normally never strayed far from their Giverny home, fell in love with the enchanting city of Venice and uncharacteristically stayed for ten weeks.The Impressionist was hesitant to paint a cityscape that so many other artists had already immortalised, stating that it was too beautiful to be painted and “untranslatable.” However, the enormity of the endeavour wasn’t enough to deter Monet, who documented his stay with a new canvas each day.The result totalled to thirty-seven pieces, twenty-seven of which were exhibited at the Bernheim-Jeune gallery in Paris. ‘Le Grand Canal’ recently sold for a staggering £56 million. “Venice is still the Venice that he would have seen. Exactly the same, nothing has changed.The Palazzo Dario cursed and haunted by ghosts.The views from the roof-top to San Giorgio Maggiore and Santa Maria della Salute.The Grand Canal, the Doge’s Palace and more. It was a real privilege to have easel, canvas, paints, and the chance to visit these locations. It was fascinating to see Venice through my own eyes and, in a way, through his eyes too. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.” Myatt’s thorough understanding of Monet’s technique meant he could leverage artistic license while adopting the artist’s style in his own work. He explained:“You can put a bit of yourself into the process. For example, Monet would never use fluorescent colours, but using modern paints gives the work more bite.The original

painting is a template, and you end up putting it to one side to create new work.” Although Myatt now emulates the masters while adding his own panache, that luxury wasn’t always afforded to him.To support his family as a single father, Genuine Fakes ’ origins began on the wrong side of Scotland Yard, who called his immaculate imitations from art world heavyweights like Marc Chagall, Vincent Van Gogh and Matisse,‘the biggest art fraud of the 20th century.’ After a short stint behind bars, the detective who arrested him became his first commissioner, followed by the barristers who wanted mementos from the case.Twenty years onward, Myatt is highly sought after by private collectors and works with law enforcement to help expose would-be fraudsters. Not only has Myatt managed to perfectly capture the styles and techniques of countless celebrated artists, but he’s also fulfilled the joy and devotion required to step comfortably into the shoes of art history’s masters.“Using another artist’s work is a great opportunity to not just look passively at their art, but engage with it too,” explained Myatt.“I was successful because I wasn’t creating copies; it was new work in the style of a particular artist, which is much more fun.” Monet in Venice encapsulates this notion faultlessly, allowing the viewer the benefit of appreciating two great artists in one mesmerising collection.

“USING ANOTHER ARTIST’S WORK IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO NOT JUST LOOK PASSIVELY AT THEIR ART BUT ENGAGE WITH IT AND SEE HOW THEY’VE ACHIEVED THEIR EFFECTS AND TECHNIQUES. I WAS SUCCESSFUL BECAUSE I WASN’T CREATING COPIES; IT WAS NEW WORK IN THE STYLE OF A PARTICULAR ARTIST – WHICH IS MUCH MORE FUN.”

ORIGINAL WORKS

- JOHN MYATT

SUNSET AT SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Original Mixed Media on Canvas / Image Size 96.5cm x 66cm

SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Original Mixed Media on Canvas / Image Size 79cm x 61cm

THE PALAZZO DARIO IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Original Mixed Media on Canvas / Image Size 73.5cm x 63.5cm

THE GRAND CANAL VENICE IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Original Mixed Media on Canvas / Image Size 73.5cm x 63.5cm

SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE AT SUNSET AFTER CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Original Mixed Media on Canvas / Image Size 79cm x 61cm

SUNSET OVER THE GRAND CANAL VENICE IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Original Mixed Media on Canvas / Image Size 73.5cm x 63.5cm

THE DUCAL PALACE IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Original Mixed Media on Canvas / Image Size 79cm x 61cm

“I’M A BIT LIKE THE KID WHO TAKES A CLOCK TO PIECES AND TRIES TO PUT IT BACK AGAIN. I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW THINGS WORK, EXCEPT IN MY CASE IT’S PAINT ON CANVAS. IT’S LIBERATING TO CAST OFF YOUR OWN MANNERISMS AND TRY ON SOMEONE ELSE’S, PARTICULARLY IF THEY THROW THE PAINT AROUND A BIT.”

SIGNED LIMITED EDITION PRINTS

- JOHN MYATT

THE PALAZZO DARIO IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908

THE GRAND CANAL VENICE IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908

Hand Embellished Stretched Canvas / Image Size 29” x 25” / Framed Size 36” x 32” / Edition of 95 / Framed £1,595

Hand Embellished Stretched Canvas / Image Size 29” x 25” / Framed Size 36” x 32” / Edition of 95 / Framed £1,595

SUNSET OVER THE GRAND CANAL VENICE IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Hand Embellished Stretched Canvas / Image Size 29” x 25” / Framed Size 36” x 32” / Edition of 95 / Framed £1,595

SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Hand Embellished Stretched Canvas / Image Size 31” x 24” / Framed Size 38” x 31” / Edition of 95 / Framed £1,595

SUNSET AT SAN GIORGIO MAGGIORE IN THE STYLE OF CLAUDE MONET, 1908 Hand Embellished Stretched Canvas / Image Size 38” x 26” / Framed Size 45” x 33” / Edition of 95 / Framed £1,950

‘MONET IN VENICE’ SET OF FIVE EDITIONS Framed £7,500

B I OGRA P HY

was exposed, and Myatt was sentenced to a year long prison term for his involvement in the forgery of almost two hundred artworks. After a spell in prison for his part in ‘the greatest art fraud of the 20th century’, John Myatt has gone on to become a hugely popular contemporary artist in his own right. Myatt sees his work as not simply creating a copy or pale imitation of the original; he adopts techniques and searches for the inspiration behind each great artist’s view of the world, returning to the places these artists loved, set to explore the angles that remain uncovered or to create the next chapter in a still life. Comparing himself to an actor immersing himself in a role, he says he climbs into the mind of his chosen artist to adopt, rather than copy, their technique. Gaining attention from both national and international media and with plans for a Hollywood movie of his life in the pipeline, Myatt’s profile as an art forger turned legitimate painter continues to grow.

“In prison they called me Picasso.”

In 1986, John Myatt placed a classified advert in Private Eye,‘19th and 20th century fakes for £200’ and a perfectly legitimate business venture was born. Producing paintings to order, he painted his way through 20th century art history, commissioned by a man called ‘Professor John Drewe’. His materials were unorthodox, using household emulsion mixed with KY Jelly to add body and fluidity to his brushstrokes, and yet the quality of his work led Christie’s to value one of his paintings as worth £30,000.This was the moment that the legitimate business stopped and the crime began. Between 1986 and 1994, John played a central role in what is cited as one of the most elaborate and sophisticated art frauds in history. Myatt’s painstaking renderings of works by the likes of Alberto Giacometti and Jean Dubuffet fooled critics and collectors alike, with many of these counterfeit works finding their way into private collections and public institutions in the United Kingdom and abroad. Eventually the scheme

BIOGRAPHICAL HIGHLIGHTS

2007 The Masters Collection, the debut collection for John Myatt at Castle Fine Art, UK 2009 A Brush with Fame, a Sky Arts series featuring the art of John Myatt 2010 From Monet to Matisse, solo exhibitions in Birmingham, Harrogate and Cardiff, UK 2011 Fame in the Frame, a Sky Arts series featuring the art of John Myatt 2012 Provenance, solo exhibition at Waterhall, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, UK 2013 Provenance, touring exhibition, UK 2013 Provenance, private reception and lecture at The Chester Grosvenor, UK 2014 Genuine Fakes, solo exhibitions in Bath, Birmingham, Chester, Guildford, London and Windsor, UK 2015 Genuine Fakes, solo exhibitions in Chester, Leeds and Newcastle, UK 2015 Fraud in Art, lecture and exhibition at Victoria Art Gallery, Bath, UK 2016 Monet in Majorca, solo exhibition and nationwide limited edition collection launch, UK 2017 Vincent, solo exhibition and nationwide limited edition collection launch, UK 2017 Fake! The Great Masterpiece Challenge, hosted by Giles Coren and art historian Rose Balston 2018 Fake or Fortune, guest appearance on the BBC programme, interviewed by Fiona Bruce 2019 John Myatt, exhibitions and artist appearances in Stratford and Windsor, UK 2021 Genuine Fakes:The Hopper Collection, nationwide limited edition collection launch, UK

JOHN MYATT

The images contained within this literature are an artistic representation of the collection. To best experience our art, we recommend you contact your local gallery to arrange a viewing. © Washington Green 2022. The content of this brochure is subject to copyright and no part can be reproduced without prior permission.