Artist and forger, born in Deventer, The Netherlands. In 1945 he was accused of selling art treasures to the Germans. To clear himself, he confessed to having forged the pictures, and also the famous "Supper at Emmaus', which had been "discovered' in 1937, and accepted by the majority of experts as by Vermeer. His fakes were subjected to a detailed scientific examination, and in 1947 their maker was sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment for forgery.