Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 21 hours ago
Imagine owning a Picasso that was actually painted by a man in a villa in Ibiza. This is the incredible story of Elmyr de Hory, the master forger who flooded the art market with over 1,000 "masterpieces."
Known as "The Myth of our Century," Elmyr didn't just fake paintings; he faked his entire life. From reinventing his identity to charm Europe's high society, to the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death (or disappearance) in 1976, this documentary explores the thin line between genius and fraud.
In this investigative documentary, we trace Elmyr's footsteps from his humble beginnings as a "Hungarian refugee" in Paris to his final years on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza. Through exclusive interviews with his former flatmate Mark Forgy and the man who wrote his controversial biography, Clifford Irving, we peel back the layers of a life built on false identities and masterclass deception.
The film uncovers:
The breakthrough discovery of a confirmed de Hory forgery inside the Fogg Art Museum archives.
The cunning techniques used to age canvases and forge certificates of authenticity.
The truth about Elmyr’s real identity: Was he an aristocratic "Baron" or actually Elemer Horthy, born in 1905?.
The tragic (and mysterious) end: Did Elmyr truly take his own life to avoid extradition, or did he pull off one final "disappearance"?.
Video Chapters
00:00 — Introduction: The Greatest Art Scandal of the Century
01:11 — Who was Elmyr de Hory?
04:04 — The Ibiza Years: Life in the International Jet Set
05:28 — Clifford Irving and the "Fake" Biography
07:40 — Early Life and Art Education in Paris
08:43 — The First Forgery: A Chance Encounter with a Picasso
10:35 — Life with Mark Forgy: A Father Figure and Mentor
12:13 — Master of Style: Why the Forgeries Succeeded
14:14 — The Stockholm Claim: Did He Fool the National Museum?
16:37 — Conning New York: Secondhand Paper and Art Scams
18:15 — The Waldorf Astoria vs. The YMCA: A Dual Life
19:10 — Stony Silence: Why Museums Won’t Talk About Elmyr
20:42 — The Breakthrough: Proof of a Forgery at the Fogg Art Museum
22:22 — A Generation of Deception: Analyzing de Hory’s Technique
24:00 — The Henie Onstad Art Center Investigation
25:35 — Relining and Forged Catalogs: Advanced Forgery Methods
Subscribe for more! @GreatDocs
27:34 — Unmasking the Myth: Searching for Elmyr’s Hungarian Roots
31:30 — Elemer Horthy: The Truth Behind the Name and Age
34:01 — Beauty and the Beast: Friendships with Hollywood Icons
36:23 — Legros and Lessard: The Sales Geniuses Behind the Scam
38:47 — Exploitation and the Question of Signatures
40:23 — Certificates of Authenticity and the van Dongen Trick
41:40 — The 1967 Meadows Scandal and Trial
43:11 — Extradition Fears and Scandals in Ibiza
44:10 — The Irony of Fame: Selling "Signed Elmyrs"
45:16 — The Final Act: A Suicide Pact or One Last Escape?
48:11 — The Legacy: Fake Fakes and the Modern Art Market
Imagine owning a Picasso that was actually painted by a man in a villa in Ibiza. This is the incredible story of Elmyr de Hory, the master forger who flooded the art market with over 1,000 "masterpieces."
Known as "The Myth of our Century," Elmyr didn't just fake paintings; he faked his entire life. From reinventing his identity to charm Europe's high society, to the mysterious circumstances surrounding his death (or disappearance) in 1976, this documentary explores the thin line between genius and fraud.
In this investigative documentary, we trace Elmyr's footsteps from his humble beginnings as a "Hungarian refugee" in Paris to his final years on the Mediterranean island of Ibiza. Through exclusive interviews with his former flatmate Mark Forgy and the man who wrote his controversial biography, Clifford Irving, we peel back the layers of a life built on false identities and masterclass deception.
The film uncovers:
The breakthrough discovery of a confirmed de Hory forgery inside the Fogg Art Museum archives.
The cunning techniques used to age canvases and forge certificates of authenticity.
The truth about Elmyr’s real identity: Was he an aristocratic "Baron" or actually Elemer Horthy, born in 1905?.
The tragic (and mysterious) end: Did Elmyr truly take his own life to avoid extradition, or did he pull off one final "disappearance"?.
Video Chapters
00:00 — Introduction: The Greatest Art Scandal of the Century
01:11 — Who was Elmyr de Hory?
04:04 — The Ibiza Years: Life in the International Jet Set
05:28 — Clifford Irving and the "Fake" Biography
07:40 — Early Life and Art Education in Paris
08:43 — The First Forgery: A Chance Encounter with a Picasso
10:35 — Life with Mark Forgy: A Father Figure and Mentor
12:13 — Master of Style: Why the Forgeries Succeeded
14:14 — The Stockholm Claim: Did He Fool the National Museum?
16:37 — Conning New York: Secondhand Paper and Art Scams
18:15 — The Waldorf Astoria vs. The YMCA: A Dual Life
19:10 — Stony Silence: Why Museums Won’t Talk About Elmyr
20:42 — The Breakthrough: Proof of a Forgery at the Fogg Art Museum
22:22 — A Generation of Deception: Analyzing de Hory’s Technique
24:00 — The Henie Onstad Art Center Investigation
25:35 — Relining and Forged Catalogs: Advanced Forgery Methods
Subscribe for more! @GreatDocs
27:34 — Unmasking the Myth: Searching for Elmyr’s Hungarian Roots
31:30 — Elemer Horthy: The Truth Behind the Name and Age
34:01 — Beauty and the Beast: Friendships with Hollywood Icons
36:23 — Legros and Lessard: The Sales Geniuses Behind the Scam
38:47 — Exploitation and the Question of Signatures
40:23 — Certificates of Authenticity and the van Dongen Trick
41:40 — The 1967 Meadows Scandal and Trial
43:11 — Extradition Fears and Scandals in Ibiza
44:10 — The Irony of Fame: Selling "Signed Elmyrs"
45:16 — The Final Act: A Suicide Pact or One Last Escape?
48:11 — The Legacy: Fake Fakes and the Modern Art Market
