While the world of non-fungible token assets (NFTs) continues to grow, Wolfgang Beltracchi, a notorious artist and forger, has joined the NFT market with a collection called “The Greats.” Beltracchi is well-known for his confession that he sold artworks under the names of famous artists such as Fernand Leger and Heinrich Campendonk.

Wolfgang Beltracchi Introduces ‘The Greats’ Collection

Wolfgang Beltracchi is a notorious artist who sold forged art by some of the most loved artists in the world. The German art forger and his wife admitted to selling artworks from 14 different pieces that sold for roughly $45 million. However, Beltracchi claimed to have re-created the works of “about 50 artists” and also said his profits exceeded $100 million. After a 2011 trial in Germany, Beltracchi was found guilty and served a touch over three years for his crimes. Beltracchi and his wife were also required to make millions of dollars in restitution.

Now Beltracchi has dropped a new website called greats.art, which is described as “a digital journey through the history of art.” When Beltracchi was caught he forged the work stemming from famous artists such as Max Ernst, Heinrich Campendonk, Fernand Leger and Kees van Dongen.

His most recent NFTs will also be re-creations and take from Leonardo da Vinci’s alleged “Salvator Mundi” piece. “We present to you the first-ever digital fine art collection by the most prolific art forger of the 20th century, Wolfgang Beltracchi,” the greats.art web portal notes. This website also contains

The artist takes you on a journey through the history of art by recreating Leonardo da Vinci’s alleged Salvator Mundi, channeling the styles of seven masters including Picasso, Van Gogh, Da Vinci, and more. ‘The Greats’ is divided into over 30 individual series based on 7 different eras in art history. The collections consist of a total of 4,608 original digital artworks.

The Most Controversial Artist, and the World’s Most Expensive Work of Art

Beltracchi is also featured in a Youtube video explaining “The Greats”, NFT collection more in detail. He is considered one of the most controversial artists on the planet, and his “Salvator Mundi”, the most expensive piece ever sold in art worldwide, is a testament to that. Back in 2017, the “Salvator Mundi” sold for $450 million to the Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The website of the forger states that the “traditional arts elite” wants to bury Beltracchi and make his art a distant memory. Beltracchi claims that he is now banned from selling at museums and auction houses as well as art galleries, since his arrest.

“The art establishment has a strong interest in maintaining the status quo and continuing to define art. The greats.art website explains. This is why we use the Internet and the Ethereum blockchain for unrestricted global access to one the most important living masters of our times .”

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What do you think about art forger Wolfgang Beltracchi dipping into the waters of non-fungible token (NFT) collectibles? Please comment below to let us know your thoughts on this topic.

Image Credits: Shutterstock, Pixabay, Wiki Commons, greats.art website,

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