# Han van Meegeren

> He fooled the art world's top experts with fake Vermeers, then became a Dutch hero when one of his forgeries ended up in Hermann Göring's collection — selling a counterfeit to the Nazis turned out to be the best thing he ever painted.

*Dutch painter and art forger (1889-1947)*

**Canonical URL:** https://fame.am/person/han-van-meegeren

## Identity
- **Profile type:** Artist
- **Category:** Artists
- **Country:** Netherlands
- **Born:** 1889-10-10
- **Died:** 1947-12-30
- **Status:** deceased
- **Gender:** male

## Bio

Van Meegeren wanted recognition as an artist, but critics dismissed his work. Stung, he pivoted to forging Dutch Golden Age masters — and leading experts, including collector Abraham Bredius, authenticated his fakes as genuine 17th-century paintings. During the Nazi occupation, Göring bought one of Van Meegeren's "Vermeers" and treasured it. After the war, Dutch authorities arrested Van Meegeren for selling national treasures to the enemy, a charge that carried the death penalty. He confessed the painting was his own forgery — a revelation that shifted him from traitor to trickster. Convicted of fraud, he was sentenced to a year in prison but died within two months after two heart attacks. A 1967 biography estimated his cons netted over $30 million from buyers including the Dutch government itself.

## Fame
- **Popularity score:** 58.4 / 100
- **Momentum:** 29.3 / 100  (trend: BREAKOUT)
- **Historical depth:** 22.6 / 100
- **Now attention:** 43.9 / 100
- **Source confidence:** 65.0 / 100
- **Profile completeness:** 75.0 / 100

## Platforms
- **WEBSITE**: http://www.meegeren.net/

## Topics
#Artists, #Artist, #Painting, #20th Century

## Sources
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q436161)
- [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Pantheon 2.0](https://pantheon.world/profile/person/Han%20van%20Meegeren)
- [Хан ван Меегерен](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Хан ван Мегерен](https://cv.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [هان فان میخه‌رن](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86_%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%86_%D9%85%DB%8C%D8%AE%D9%87%E2%80%8C%D8%B1%D9%86)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [האן ואן מייחרן](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%94%D7%90%D7%9F_%D7%95%D7%90%D7%9F_%D7%9E%D7%99%D7%99%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%9F)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Հան վան Մեգերեն](https://hy.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D5%80%D5%A1%D5%B6_%D5%BE%D5%A1%D5%B6_%D5%84%D5%A5%D5%A3%D5%A5%D6%80%D5%A5%D5%B6)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [ハン・ファン・メーヘレン](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%8F%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%83%B3%E3%83%BB%E3%83%A1%E3%83%BC%E3%83%98%E3%83%AC%E3%83%B3)
- [ჰან ვან მეგერენი](https://ka.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E1%83%B0%E1%83%90%E1%83%9C_%E1%83%95%E1%83%90%E1%83%9C_%E1%83%9B%E1%83%94%E1%83%92%E1%83%94%E1%83%A0%E1%83%94%E1%83%9C%E1%83%98)
- [Хан ван Мегерен](https://kk.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%B2%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD)
- [한 판 메이헤런](https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%95%9C_%ED%8C%90_%EB%A9%94%EC%9D%B4%ED%97%A4%EB%9F%B0)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Han van Meegeren](https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [Ван Мегерен, Хан](https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%92%D0%B0%D0%BD_%D0%9C%D0%B5%D0%B3%D0%B5%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BD%2C_%D0%A5%D0%B0%D0%BD)
- [Wikiquote](https://pl.wikiquote.org/wiki/Han_van_Meegeren)
- [هان فان ميغيرين](https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86_%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%86_%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%BA%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86)
- [هان فان ميجيرين](https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%D8%A7%D9%86_%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%86_%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86)

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Generated by Fame.am · https://fame.am/person/han-van-meegeren