On April 18 Nicholas Hatch, a resident of Wilton was sentenced to 14 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to charges of mail fraud in 2023.
The 29-year-old man sold 145 fake paintings which he claimed were by Peter Max. The noted American artist is still alive but suffering from advanced dementia. Hatch is not the first person to use Max’s condition to market imitation work.
Noted for broad brush strokes and bright colors that heavily influenced the Pop Art movement and helped shape the visual identity of the 1960’s, Max was born in 1937 to a Jewish family living in Berlin. The family fled the Nazis and traveled to Shanghai, where he grew up and was inspired by the use of color in local art and design.
Hatch earned $248,600 from 43 defrauded customers according to the US Attorney’s office. The false paintings were sold online between April 2020 and January 2022.
