Han van Meegeren was the 20th Century's most ambitious forger, and for a time its most successful. In ten years at his odd calling, he had fooled some of Europe's smartest experts and made close to $3,000,000 by painting and then "discovering" half a dozen "Vermeers" and a couple of "Pieter de Hoochs" besides. When he was convicted three years ago (TIME, Nov. 24, 1947), Van Meegeren told a reporter that he was "sure about one thing: if I die in jail they will just forget all about it. My paintings will become original Vermeers once more. I produced them not...
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