David Henty

David Henty (born 1958) is a former master forger. Acclaimed as 'the brushstroke alchemist,' his works are renowned for the accuracy and authenticity with which he paints perfect copies of original works by master painters. Many of Henty's forgeries have been sold by art dealers and auction houses as original works and are unknowingly included in many collections around the world. His paintings regularly sell for thousands of pounds.

In 2022 Henty provided the inspiration for the art forger character at the centre of Peter James' novel Picture You Dead and painted the 'lost' work by Jean-Honore Fragonard at the heart of the narrative. 'Everybody I show the work to is astounded' James said. 'He can copy so many artists from Fragonard to Caravaggio. They're just stunning.' In the 1990s Henty found himself on the wrong side of the law and he was imprisoned in the UK for forging passports and in Spain for selling stolen cars.

During his time in prison Henty developed not only his skill at painting but the methodology he now uses to faithfully recreate great masters' works. Henty found he could mentally transport himself out of his immediate surroundings by immersing himself in the life and work of an artist and meditating on a painting, brushstroke by brushstroke. By mentally submerging himself in this way, Henty discovered a flow state in which he could work and accurately and authentically recreate the artist's work.

Exposed by The Telegraph After he was released from prison Henty worked for a period under his own name. He then started creating forgeries and selling them on eBay. For these early works he developed the tricks of the forger's trade. He used age-appropriate materials, such as the correct canvas and pigments for the artist and period chosen. He finished the works with fake stamps and artificial ageing methods. His forgeries were accompanied on eBay with descriptions that suggested the works could be authentic, if only they had a traceable provenance.

Picture You Dead In 2022 Henty contributed inspiration and information for the 'Daniel Hegarty' art forger character at the centre of Peter James' 18th 'Roy Grace' novel Picture You Dead. Bartlett was the policeman who arrested Henty in the 1990s for forging passports Former Coronation Street actor Peter Ash plays the 'Hegarty' character based on Henty in the play, which is adapted from the Peter James novel. The master crime writer James is 'in awe' of Henty's talent as a forger and believes Henty is 'the nicest villain I've ever met.'

Other Media Henty's other notable media involvements include a segment titled The Copycat Artist on BBC Radio 4 Today show and a documentary titled My Fake Picasso Went to Auction at $1.4 Million for Vice Media. In 2023, Henty created a forgery of Jean-Michel Basquiat's work for Channel 4's The Greatest Auction.

Publications In 2022 Henty published Art World Underworld, an innovative fictional take on the conventional art forger's memoir.

Henty has said of his forgeries:

'Most ordinary people are not going to be able to put a quarter of a million pound painting on their wall. But for a few hundred quid you can own one that looks like it. I am just bringing art to the masses, affordable art.'