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.
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