Britannica Sources used in this answer

How does a composite forgery use elements from several genuine artworks?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Hear about William Henry Ireland's fake manuscripts of William Shakespeare including a letter written to his wife — Forgery A look at a letter supposedly written by William Shakespeare to his wife, Anne Hathaway; it was, in fact, faked by William-Henry Ireland.

In the context of art, a composite forgery—also known as a pastiche—is a deceptive practice where a forger creates a new composition by combining elements from several genuine artworks.1

To achieve this, the forger typically takes specific components from an artist's body of work, such as figures, heads, hands, or objects, and integrates them into a single piece. They then add connecting elements of their own to ensure the presentation appears convincing. This method is particularly effective because it exploits the fact that genuine artists often borrow or repeat motifs from their own previous works; consequently, the presence of familiar elements can actually increase the perceived authenticity of the forgery.1

In some cases, such as with antique furniture or archaeological artifacts, a composite forgery may involve using genuine, damaged parts from multiple authentic items to construct a single "complete" object. Including even one genuine, ancient element in such a composite can significantly aid in deceiving potential buyers.1