Tokushima: Visitors Drawn to Artwork at Museum Despite It Being Forgery; Aiming to Allow Visitors to Better Understand Issue

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:52 JST, May 31, 2025&

TOKUSHIMA — Visitors are flocking to the Tokushima Modern Art Museum in Tokushima City to see an oil painting despite knowing it is a forgery.

On May 11, the first day the painting was put back on display, about 650 people — a large number for a Sunday — visited the museum to see the painting, which was previously believed to be “At the Cycle-Race Track” by French painter Jean Metzinger (1883-1956).

The Tokushima prefectural government purchased the painting for ¥67.2 million in 1999. However, in July 2024, the museum stopped exhibiting the painting after learning the work was painted by Wolfgang Beltracchi, a German man who has been referred to as a “genius forger.”

After looking into the painting’s authenticity, the museum concluded in March that it is a forgery.

After receiving many inquiries, the museum decided it was necessary for people to see the work to understand the issue better and put it back on display after 11 months.

The painting is displayed in a free space on the first floor of the museum alongside panels explaining the case. Senior curator Toshio Takeuchi also sometimes speaks to visitors and provides explanations about the work.

“Beltracchi created the work using his imagination and an old canvas,” Takeuchi said during his talks on May 11. “We plan to analyze the paint’s components and utilize the findings for future research.”

The piece will be on display through June 15. The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Mondays.