Use the word in brackets to form a new word that fits into each gap.

 

Forged pieces of art or fake (PAINT) are becoming an increasing problem for museums and art galleries around the world.

Many of them found their way into (EXHIBIT) and art (COLLECT) in the course of the 20th century. In the past it was difficult for curators and art experts to recognize forged works because they did not have the technology that they do today.

For gallery (OWN) it is embarrassing to find out that one of the masterpieces on display is a fake. Such (AWARE) can be expensive as well. A British museum, for example, paid £440,000 (about $700,000) for a forged Egyptian statue in 2003.

Why do (PROFESSION) forgers do it? Some just do it for profit, but many don’t. Some of the best fakers tried to create great pieces of art themselves and failed, so they take another painting and copy it.

Most forgers are (ART) themselves but others are art conservators. They are very (SKILL) and know the technology that is used to identify works of art. They sometimes produce documents that go with famous paintings or sculptures. Thus, forgeries may not be identified for years, or even decades.

Police admit, that, although they are looking into cases of art forgery more often, it is still very hard to tell if the numbers are rising or not. Art has become a kind of (INVEST) so the market for forgeries and fake works is becoming larger.

Forgers use the internet to help them sell phony works of art. On the other side , since it is easiest to fake lost or missing works of art, the internet can provide fast information on whether a painting or sculpture has (APPEAR) or not. Some forgers are even brave enough to copy works of (LIVE) artists.

In one of the biggest forgery cases in history, Scotland Yard arrested Shaun Greenhalg, who created over 120 paintings and sculptures worth millions over the past 20 years. But many forgers may still be at large. Art experts say that, because there is such a demand in art, up to half of the art that is in (CIRCULATE) may be a forgery. Most of it is sold at auctions in London.

John Myatt was one of the biggest art forgers of the 20th century. He was (PRISON) for creating fake Picassos and Renoirs. After he was relased in 2000 he has started to create his own art, which now sells at a rather high price.