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Which types of artworks are most often targeted by art forgers?

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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.

Art forgers typically target works that command high prices due to a combination of scarcity and strong market demand. While any art object—including paintings, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, and fine furniture—can be forged, the likelihood of forgery is heavily influenced by the balance between potential profit and the technical difficulty of production.123

Factors Influencing Targets

Market Demand and Scarcity: Forgery is most prevalent when demand for a specific type of work outstrips supply, driving up prices.12
Technical Feasibility: Forgers often favor items that are relatively simple to replicate. For example, while complex ancient Greek vases are rarely forged due to extreme technical difficulty, small archaic bronze statuettes are frequently targeted because they are easier to cast.3
Risk Management: Forgers often target "mediocre" pieces in the middle price range. These items are valuable enough to yield a fair return but are less likely to undergo the rigorous, definitive examination reserved for high-profile masterpieces.3
New Discoveries: A newly discovered type of art or civilization often triggers a flood of forgeries, as the lack of established knowledge makes detection difficult.3

Ultimately, forgers aim to deceive by exploiting gaps in scholarship or by creating works that align with the known styles of celebrated artists or historical periods.13