Ernest Durig (1894–1962) was a sculptor and art forger, known for his faking of drawings by

Auguste Rodin François Auguste René Rodin (12 November 184017 November 1917) was a French sculptor, generally considered the founder of modern sculpture. He was schooled traditionally and took a craftsman-like approach to his work. Rodin possessed a uniqu ...

. Durig claimed to have been a pupil of Rodin, but the only documentation of their having ever met is a single photograph. As a sculptor, Durig, no doubt helped by his claimed link to Rodin, modelled busts for a number of notables in the United States establishment. His sitters included

Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (; 29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who founded and led the National Fascist Party. He was Prime Minister of Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 until his deposition in 194 ...

, US President

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

, and the actor

Will Rogers William Penn Adair Rogers (November 4, 1879 – August 15, 1935) was an American vaudeville performer, actor, and humorous social commentator. He was born as a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, in the Indian Territory (now part of Oklahoma ...

. He sculpted a peace memorial for

Greenwood, Wisconsin Greenwood is a city in Clark County, Wisconsin, Clark County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 1,026 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Geography Greenwood is located at (44.767826, -90.598959). According to the Uni ...

, from an artificial stone made using concrete and fine white sand. Unveiled in 1937, it was restored in 1982. In July 2016 BBC Television screened an episode of ''

Fake or Fortune? ''Fake or Fortune?'' is a BBC One documentary television series which examines the provenance and attribution of notable artworks. Since the first series aired in 2011, ''Fake or Fortune?'' has drawn audiences of up to 5 million viewers in t ...

'', in which a privately held watercolour of a Cambodian dancer, supposedly by Rodin, was exposed as a Durig fake. The New York

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...

holds a collection of his drawings. Others, previously thought to be by Rodin, are in the in Paris. Durig's extensive career of forgery was first exposed in the 4 June 1965 issue of ''

LIFE Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

''.

Bibliography

References

External links

Essay on Durig and Rodin

1894 births 1962 deaths Art forgers Swiss sculptors Artists from Zürich Swiss emigrants to the United States {{Switzerland-sculptor-stub