Brigido Lara
Encyclopedia
Brigido Lara is a Mexican
artist and ex-forger of pre-Columbian antiques. He says he created maybe 40,000 pieces of forged pre-Columbian pottery.
Brigido Lara begun to create forgeries in the 1950s and 1960s. He created many items in the style of the Mayans
, Aztec
s and especially the lesser-known Totonac
s – in fact to such an extent that the majority of purported Totonac artifacts may actually be his work. He worked in a museum, where he was acquainted with both original artifacts and potential customers.
Lara sold his work as genuine Mexican antiquities; buyers did not ask many questions since they were buying contraband - taking antiquities out of Mexico is illegal. Some of the works were sold to the Morton D. May collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
, dated AD 400–700 and attributed to the Remojadas
culture in Veracruz
. In 1971, the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History presented a large exhibition entitled "Ancient Art of Veracruz" – Lara later recognized many of the exhibits as his work.
In July 1974 Mexican police arrested a group of what looked like antique smugglers
– Brigido Lara with them. An antiquities expert declared Lara's forgeries genuine. In prison Lara requested fresh clay, and to prove his innocence, created just the items he was accused of smuggling. The same antique expert declared them genuine as well. Lara was released January 1975.
The state Anthropology Museum in Xalapa later hired Lara as a restorer and to recognize forgeries.
In 1987 Brigido Lara told his story to two journalists from Connoisseur
magazine. Through them the St. Louis Art Museum heard that their Morton D. May collection contained his forgeries. The Dallas Museum of Art
and the Metropolitan Museum of Art also realized they had Lara forgeries in their collections, though they initially claimed that there was no proof.
Lara continues to sculpt in ancient styles but now signs his work and is a licensed maker of replica
s. He calls his previous forgeries "his originals" or "original interpretations".
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
artist and ex-forger of pre-Columbian antiques. He says he created maybe 40,000 pieces of forged pre-Columbian pottery.
Brigido Lara begun to create forgeries in the 1950s and 1960s. He created many items in the style of the Mayans
Maya civilization
The Maya is a Mesoamerican civilization, noted for the only known fully developed written language of the pre-Columbian Americas, as well as for its art, architecture, and mathematical and astronomical systems. Initially established during the Pre-Classic period The Maya is a Mesoamerican...
, Aztec
Aztec
The Aztec people were certain ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those groups who spoke the Nahuatl language and who dominated large parts of Mesoamerica in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, a period referred to as the late post-classic period in Mesoamerican chronology.Aztec is the...
s and especially the lesser-known Totonac
Totonac
The Totonac people resided in the eastern coastal and mountainous regions of Mexico at the time of the Spanish arrival in 1519. Today they reside in the states of Veracruz, Puebla, and Hidalgo. They are one of the possible builders of the Pre-Columbian city of El Tajín, and further maintained...
s – in fact to such an extent that the majority of purported Totonac artifacts may actually be his work. He worked in a museum, where he was acquainted with both original artifacts and potential customers.
Lara sold his work as genuine Mexican antiquities; buyers did not ask many questions since they were buying contraband - taking antiquities out of Mexico is illegal. Some of the works were sold to the Morton D. May collection and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
, dated AD 400–700 and attributed to the Remojadas
Remojadas
Remojadas is a name applied to a culture, an archaeological site, as well as an artistic style that flourished on Mexico's Veracruz Gulf Coast from perhaps 100 BCE to 800 CE. The Remojadas culture is considered part of the larger Classic Veracruz culture. Further research into the Remojadas...
culture in Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
. In 1971, the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History presented a large exhibition entitled "Ancient Art of Veracruz" – Lara later recognized many of the exhibits as his work.
In July 1974 Mexican police arrested a group of what looked like antique smugglers
Smuggling
Smuggling is the clandestine transportation of goods or persons, such as out of a building, into a prison, or across an international border, in violation of applicable laws or other regulations.There are various motivations to smuggle...
– Brigido Lara with them. An antiquities expert declared Lara's forgeries genuine. In prison Lara requested fresh clay, and to prove his innocence, created just the items he was accused of smuggling. The same antique expert declared them genuine as well. Lara was released January 1975.
The state Anthropology Museum in Xalapa later hired Lara as a restorer and to recognize forgeries.
In 1987 Brigido Lara told his story to two journalists from Connoisseur
Connoisseur
A connoisseur is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts, cuisines, or an expert judge in matters of taste.Modern connoisseurship must be seen along with museums, art galleries and "the cult of originality"...
magazine. Through them the St. Louis Art Museum heard that their Morton D. May collection contained his forgeries. The Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas Museum of Art
The Dallas Museum of Art is a major art museum located in the Arts District of downtown Dallas, Texas, USA, along Woodall Rodgers Freeway between St. Paul and Harwood. In 1984, the museum moved from its previous location in Fair Park to the Arts District, Dallas, Texas...
and the Metropolitan Museum of Art also realized they had Lara forgeries in their collections, though they initially claimed that there was no proof.
Lara continues to sculpt in ancient styles but now signs his work and is a licensed maker of replica
Replica
A replica is a copy closely resembling the original concerning its shape and appearance. An inverted replica complements the original by filling its gaps. It can be a copy used for historical purposes, such as being placed in a museum. Sometimes the original never existed. For example, Difference...
s. He calls his previous forgeries "his originals" or "original interpretations".