Masterclass: The art of forgery | John Myatt
From Monet to Matisse and Van Gogh to Vermeer, Myatt’s past portfolio of ‘genuine fakes’ traverses most styles and subjects of any note from the annals of art history. For this latest collection, Myatt has taken on the elective realism of famed twentieth century painter, Edward Hopper. Despite fastidious research into the artist and his working practice, Myatt does not allow
himself to be constrained by Hopper’s methodology.
where he was, what he was doing…when he was painting.” We see this clearly in the use of light – another key component in delivering the staged, cinematic scenes that exemplify his style. Myatt explains: “In this series, most of the paintings are lit by artificial light, which is not true of Hopper as a whole, but emphasises the quality that I was hoping to bring out of my versions of his paintings.”
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. In a 2005 interview with the Guardian newspaper, John explained: “I try to get the artist’s work to hypnotise me. I also surround myself with lots of books. I like to know everything…
“The paintings are all ‘set pieces. By which I mean I’m sure Hopper had the idea for ‘Nighthawks’ before he found the café that he used in the painting. The same goes for the other works in this series. So, in that sense, I feel the paintings are contrived to serve the artist’s purpose.”
‘Automat, 1927’ In The Style of Edward Hopper Hand Embellished Stretched Canvas | Edition of 15 Image Size 76cm x 61cm | Framed Size 99cm x 84cm £1,595 Framed
'Gas, 1940' In The Style of Edward Hopper Hand Embellished Stretched Canvas | Edition of 95 Image Size 76cm x 61cm | Framed Size 99cm x 84cm £1,595 Framed
40 FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN / WINTER 2021
FINE ART COLLECTOR AUTUMN / WINTER 2021 41
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