Forger claims he is the artist behind $200 million da Vinci painting
A convicted forger has claimed that he is the artist behind a 15th century portrait attributed to Leonardo Da Vinci that has been valued at around $200 million and that rather than a European noblewoman, the subject is actually a checkout operator from Bolton.
This is the startling claim made by British forger Shaun Greenhalgh in the book A Forger's Tale. Mr Greenhalgh has served nearly five years in prison for forgery in the past.
The sketch was sold to a private collector in 2007 for $30,000, but has since been valued at approximately $209 million by noted da Vinci expert Martin Kemp.
The work has been mired in controversy, and this latest incident is not going to help. Mr Greenhalgh suggests he was able to fool high-tech dating technology by digging up his own clay and using charcoal from ancient tress.
And as for the subject of the painting, who was working a co-op supermarket? Mr Greenhalgh suggests, “Despite her humble position, she was a bossy little bugger and very self-important.”
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