Skip to main content

The art forger who tricked the Nazis - Noah Charney

1,788,208 Views

9,639 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

It was one of the strangest trials in Dutch history. The defendant in a 1947 case was an art forger who had counterfeited millions of dollars worth of paintings. But he wasn’t arguing his innocence— in fact, his life depended on proving that he had committed fraud. Who was this artist, and why was he on trial for his life? Noah Charney investigates the notorious Han van Meegeren.

Which aspect of van Meegeren’s forgeries would have been revealed as such had they been subject to forensic testing?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Noah Charney
  • Director Luísa Holanda
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Animator Luísa Holanda, Felipe Urbanetto
  • Compositor Gabriel Maia
  • Art Director Luísa Holanda
  • Storyboard Artist Luísa Holanda
  • Hype Executive Producer Gabriel Garcia
  • Hype Producer Taíla Soliman
  • Music Gabriel Maia
  • Sound Designer Gabriel Maia
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Elizabeth Cox
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam

More from The Artist's Palette