Mark Forgy, longtime friend of notorious art faker Elmyr de Hory, will present a free public lecture at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, March 21 in Wallenberg Auditorium, located in the Alfred Nobel Hall of Science.
Drawing from his recently written memoirs, Forgy will discuss de Hory, considered by many as one of the most successful and infamous art forgers ever. Forgy formed a close friendship with de Hory in the final years of his life. After a chance meeting in 1969, Forgy became an assistant and friend to the artist, living with him in his home on the Spanish island of Ibiza until his death by suicide in 1976.
The Hillstrom Museum of Art at Gustavus is currently featuring an exhibition of around 70 paintings, drawings, and prints by de Hory from Forgy’s collection. The exhibition also includes a large portrait of de Hory and his brother Stephen as young children, painted by Hungarian Philip de Laszlo (1869-1937).
Also on display are genuine works by two of the artists de Hory frequently forged – Henri Matisse (1869-1954) and Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920) – that were lent by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The exhibition is supported by a generous grant from the Carl and Verna Schmidt Foundation.
The exhibition is on display at the Hillstrom Museum of Art until April 18. The Hillstrom Museum of Art will be open following Forgy’s lecture on Sunday afternoon.
Additional information on the Hillstrom Museum of Art can be found online at gustavus.edu/finearts/hillstrom.
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