COACrimes of Art
CasesPeopleArtworksMuseumsNewsPodcastEssaysMuseum MishapsAtlas
Search

Results for “frescoes”

1 entries
Person

Lothar Malskat

German restorer who, hired to restore medieval frescoes in Lübeck's Marienkirche after WWII, simply painted new 'medieval' murals himself — including turkeys, unknown in medieval Europe. He remarkably reported his own fraud, and the ensuing trial inspired Günter Grass's 'The Rat'.

COACrimes of Art

A living library and publication documenting art crime, law, and controversy — the thefts, forgeries, artists, institutions, and legal battles that have shaped the history of art, from antiquity to the present.

The Archive
  • Cases
  • People
  • Artworks
  • Museums
  • News
  • Podcast
  • Essays
  • Museum Mishaps
The Publication
  • About COA
  • Search
  • Contact
  • Editorial Access

© 2026 COA · Crimes of Art.

Theft · forgery · restitution · censorship · authentication · law