Creed Gallery in Ascot, Berkshire, offers paintings by David Henty, the former art forger who now paints openly as a copyist. Every work is labelled as his, made after or in homage to the named artist, and is never sold as an original by that artist. Our five works, from £1,000 to £25,000, are after Leonardo da Vinci, L.S. Lowry, Pablo Picasso and Banksy. Our team can advise on documentation for collectors across Berkshire, Surrey and London.
About David Henty: From Forger to Copyist
David Henty was born in 1958 and as a teenager worked with his father, an antiques dealer. In the 1990s he was imprisoned in the UK for forging passports and in Spain for selling stolen cars, and it was in prison that he learned to paint. He says he taught himself by immersing himself in an artist's life and technique, working brushstroke by brushstroke until he reached a meditative flow state. After his release he made copies of famous paintings and sold them on eBay. A 2014 newspaper investigation exposed him and eBay banned him, and he says he has since worked in the open as a copyist. The BBC called him "the brushstroke alchemist", and he jokes that he has painted more Lowrys than Lowry.
Peter James and Picture You Dead
Henty was the inspiration for the art forger in Peter James's Roy Grace novel Picture You Dead, for which he painted the "lost" Fragonard at the centre of the story. The book has since been adapted for the stage. His first Brighton exhibition, The Art of Copying, was in 2016.
How We Label a Henty
Each painting is sold as a work by David Henty, described as "after" or "in homage to" the artist it recalls, and never as an original by that artist. For example, our Rude Policeman is stated as "by David Henty, in homage to Banksy, not an original work by Banksy". We give the medium, size and documentation for each.
Collecting David Henty at Creed Gallery
Our works include Salvator Mundi (after Leonardo da Vinci) (£25,000), Dora Maar in a Yellow Shirt (after Pablo Picasso) (£9,200), Going to the Match (after L.S. Lowry) (£5,400), In Homage to Banksy: Rude Policeman (£2,000) and Banksy Red (£1,000). You're welcome to visit the gallery in Ascot.
Why Collect David Henty
A Henty is a piece of craft with an unusual story, and it should be valued as a Henty, not as the original it recalls. As with any artist, individual pieces vary in demand and value, so our team is happy to talk you through the specifics of any work you're considering.
