Lothar Malskat Sued Himself for Being an Art Forger

Lothar Malskat had many advantages. He was an outstanding artist, had a rather amazing name, and had survived the Second World War. That third component's flaw is that no one actually realized it. The church employed Malskat and Dietrich Fey, two art restorers, to repair some Gothic frescoes that had been exposed as a result of a bombing strike.

The restored frescoes became a source of German national pride after three years of labor. In fact, they appeared on two million postage stamps. For his work, Fey was praised as a genius and a hero. So Malskat filed a lawsuit against himself.

For the frescoes and many other works, Fey was receiving all the money and glory. However, they were all liars. Malskat was a fake artist, and Fey was claiming ownership of his creations. The issue was that when he outed himself and his boss, no one believed him. His only option was to file a lawsuit against himself in order to establish in court that he was indeed a creative genius capable of copying masterpieces.

He drew attention to contradictions in the purported restorations. He had covered a well-known actress's face in one. Some of the other figures were men who had been at neighboring construction sites. Even turkeys were included in one, which was not present in Germany at the time the paintings were scheduled to be completed. Malskat's efforts resulted in prison time. Despite his skill, his frescoes were destroyed, and he never found fame after his death. He did, however, bring everyone with him, so that was something.

Nationality: German

Occupation: Artist