A Flip of the Canvas

"Why would you forge an artwork?"

That is the question Elizabeth Burke asks Neal Caffrey in Penna's story By the Book. It's a natural question. Neal is a gifted artist. What caused him to use his talent to imitate others? The conversation that follows between Neal, Elizabeth, and Peter reveals not only why he chose that path but how he developed his skill.

I was fascinated by the topic. Penna and I have mentioned how each other's stories spark ideas for us. In her post Baby Bear: When Characters Talk to Writers, she related how she developed Baby Bear from a bear reference I made in The Woman in Blue. Penna's discussion of Neal's attitude toward art in By the Book led me to want to write stories where artworks play a key role in the mystery.

(Warning: Mild spoilers for By the Book and The Mirror)

In the scene mentioned above, El wonders if someone who loves art would view creating a forgery as disrespectful. Neal deflects rather than replying. If she'd pressed him, he might have said there's nothing illegal in creating a forgery. Many art schools taught the value of emulating the masters. Only when the forgery is sold as an original is it a crime. If an artist receives money for a forgery of an old master, he's not harming the original artist. Moreover, art galleries and individuals make fortunes off long-dead artists who may have only received a pittance for their works during their lifetimes. It's understandable for Neal to be cynical.

With his own art as with his cons, Neal is a shapeshifter. His mercurial stylistic changes frustrate his professors, and he's criticized for failing to develop a cohesive identity.

When he forges the works of others, Neal is no ordinary copier. He tries to establish a connection with the artist to recreate the soul of a painting, not simply its outward appearance. Agent Travis Miller, a fan of Star Trek's Mr. Spock, would say that Neal achieves a mind meld with the artist. It's why his forgeries are so excellent and why he makes such a superb authenticator.

Neal is proud of his paintings, but he also derives immense satisfaction from creating a forgery that can withstand the most careful scrutiny. Neal's expertise makes him an invaluable resource both for law enforcement agencies and for those on the other side of the law.

Peter Burke and the other White Collar team members already know what an asset he is. In Chapter 8 of the Mirror, John Hobhouse from Interpol interviews Neal. Will he be equally impressed? And will his views be shared by Interpol?

Neal has also been recruited by criminals for his forgery expertise. Are more attempts coming up? Some of those questions are answered in The Mirror.

Note: In Chapter 8 of The Mirror, Fiona quotes from an Egyptian love poem from the Eighteenth Dynasty. Full text of the poem.

The Mirror on Archive of Our Own     The Mirror on FanFiction