Julian Crowley
6. Giovanni Bastianini
Bust, thought to be by Mino, but in fact by Bastianini
Bastiani became infamous as the world’s first well-known forger of art. In the 19th century he sculpted busts in the style of Renaissance greats, aged them artificially and waited for them to be “discovered.” He would have stayed anonymous for a long time, as nobody ever had any notion that the pieces were not genuine, but his partner in crime eventually gave him up when he became resentful of his poor cut of the takings. There clearly has never been honor amongst thieves.
