Booth Library Program Preview, Sept. 25––

Ivan MacDonald Will Present

‘The Master Forger’

By Dottie Evans

His masterful presentation is an hour of sheer joy, wit and ebullient style….

––The Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

With a background in theater, television, and radio, Ivan MacDonald has established himself as one of America’s foremost audiovisual lecturers. According to rave reviews, his performance can be riveting, especially when accompanied by his private collection of 35mm slides and a blow-by-blow account of possibly the most notorious art world hoax of the century.

Add the promise of a surprise ending, and this program looks irresistible.

Newtown residents who appreciate fine art and love a good mystery have a “rare treat” in store, according to Cyrenius Booth Library Program Director, Kim Weber. Ms Weber has arranged to have Mr MacDonald speak on Thursday, September 25, at 7:30 pm in the library’s community room.

Mr MacDonald will retell the true story of Han van Meegeren, an early 20th Century Dutch artist, who successfully forged such famous 17th Century masters of the Flemish Baroque period as Jan Vermeer, Frans Hals, and Pieter de Hoogh.

The forgeries were finally exposed by a fluke in 1945, when the allies discovered a treasure trove of Nazi artworks hidden in the salt mines of Austria. It is a story filled with drama and intrigue, and who better to tell it than master actor and public speaker, Ivan MacDonald.

“I’ve told this story to major museums throughout the United States, but they do not go out of their way to talk about what happened with the forgeries,” said Mr MacDonald, speaking from his Branford home on Friday.

“There is a certain embarrassment. They have [these forged artworks] in the basement. Many were given by wealthy donors and they don’t plan to mention it until after their deaths.”

 He said that acquiring the 35mm slides he uses in his presentation was not an easy task, partially because the museums did not want to cooperate.

“It took me five years to get them. Finally I found two people in Europe who could get me the color slides, and they agreed to sell them to me. Some of these images have not been seen in over 50 years,” Mr MacDonald added.

“It’s an exciting story line with a beginning, a middle, and a surprise ending. It truly plays like a mystery.”

The Cyrenius Booth Library is at 25 Main Street, Newtown, and the program is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be available. For further information, call 203-426-4533.