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David Henty From Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia

David Henty (born David Henty, c. 1958)[1][2] is a master reproduction artist specialist, art historian, whose copy paintings are sold in galleries stores worldwide.[3][4] Born and raised in Sussex, South East England, his career in art began in 1991 serving a brief stint in HMS Downview prison, charged with forgery and passport fraud. It was during his sentence his love of art was born and, upon his release, began painting in earnest reproducing masterpieces from Van Gogh to Rembrandt, successfully selling his work on eBay.

Early life[edit] The oldest of six children, Henty had grown up in a tough Brighton crime family with a mother who had walked out on the family early on, and a hard as nails father who only occasionally dropped in on them. His father, Tony Henty, was a former bomb disposal expert who became an antique dealer, working out of a shop in the Brighton laines. His father instilled a sense of ‘by any means necessary’ business acumen in all his children, and at thirteen David was already selling his little brother Tony’s toys out of the bedroom window to get cash, whilst the rest of his siblings tried to find food. His father was the original forger, making one pound coins on the side and dealing in house clearances. David, Tony, Steven, Paul and Dane went to work for their father. The one sister, Shani was sent away to live with an aunt in the tough Mouselcoomb council estate in the Brighton suburbs. David always had an interest in art, as he would often find paintings in the house clearances, but never allowed to keep them if a good price was being negotiated. David didn’t discover his own artistic talents until his time in Downview prison. He was sentenced there after creating a passport scam offering fake UK passports to the Chinese market prior for the Hong Kong handover in 1997

Formal art training at HM Prison [edit] Art classes were offered in the prison system at HMS Downview. He found art books in the prison library and began to study, this becoming his formal art education. He studied a Victorian painter named Helen Allingham, a watercolourist specializing in cottages and countryside scenes. These art classes were water colours only as the thinners used in oil painting were banned due to the risk of inmates creating fires. But after a time proving himself prolific he was awarded oil painting privileges and quickly expanded his repertoire. He discovered Walter Sickert and learned that baking oil paintings in low heat would accelerate the drying process. His first real successful piece was a Sickert painting entitled “Girl on a bed”.

Forgers [edit] David Henty met fellow art forger Billy ‘the brush’ Mumford in 2012 (?) and both specialized in their own particular styles; Henty with his ‘Caravaggio’s and Rockwell’s, whilst Mumford focused on copying Rothko’s, Pollock’s and lesser known abstract artists. They met after Mumford spotted Henty’s EBay account offering a substantial amount of Lowry paintings at knockdown prices. The pair became great friends after meeting and forged a partnership putting thousands of forged art pieces on the market throughout the UK. They would attend the morning boot fairs at the Ford open air market at Arundel close to the Ford prison where Mumford had served time for the Bonham sales. The pair would ‘upcycle’ old antique paintings they’d find for £10, re naming the pieces with a more prominent named artist to resell for anywhere between £500 to £5,000. Being an art forger meant having to know the art world and become a historian to not mix a Gerald Sekota painting with a Jackson Pollock. eBay and subsequent life ban[edit]

By 2010 Henty began selling on eBay Henty was recreating art pieces and began selling them on EBay. The paintings were listed as ‘after’ (insert artist) LS Lowry’ etc. and Henty’s work was being sold successfully as far as Japan and the United States to collectors. However, a disgruntled buyer in 2007 complained to EBay that he believed he was buying an original Lowry and that Henty was duping the general public and the art world at large, and by May 2014 Henty received a lifelong ban from the on line giant. The ensuing press fallout changed Henty’s art career.

Press [edit] In June 2014 the story made national press. The Telegraph newspaper exposed Henty’s eBay site, quickly followed by stories ran by The Guardian, Sky News, Brighton press and local radio and media. The attention it gleaned accelerated the interest in his work tenfold and he quickly rose to prominence as one of the best art forgers in the world. He business became legitimate and now sells his work through galleries across the UK with sales reaching global sales.

Other Work[edit] Within the art industry itself, Henty is now actively showing in galleries across the country, most notably Cloud Gallery and has garnered attention from the United States and beyond. Henty’s vast repertoire now reaches to the most classic of Caravaggio’s, Modigliani, LS Lowry, Leonardo Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Norman Rockwell, Chaim Sautine, Carel Fabrituius, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Jean Michel Basquiat, Ewin Landseer, Walter Sickert, Rene Magritte, David Shepherd, John Singer Sargent, Jack Vettriano, Gabriel Rossetti. Anything / anyone to add here? And fittingly, a master reproduction of the recent world record sale of the Salvator Mundi painting is in production. David Henty also gives lectures and speeches on art and the art of forgery at private, corporate and charity events. A Mediterranean classic art tour in March of 2018. With regards to new initiatives, in 2018 Henty has teamed up with Netherlands Harts Agency, rebranding and new campaign initiatives in luxury retail installations, commissions for luxury Hotel and restaurants and slated shows in Dubai and UAE.

External links[edit] •	examples •	•	GQ article Categories: •	Art Forgers •	Living people •	1950s births •	People from Sussex