THE FORGER. Copyright © 2000 by Paul Watkins. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address Picador USA, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

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FRONTISPIECE:

The Astronomer, 1668 (oil on canvas) by Jan Vermeer (1632–75)

The Louvre, Paris, France/RMN/Bulloz/Bridgeman Art Library

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First Edition: November 2000

eISBN 9781466887671

First eBook edition: November 2014