Page 17 - THE SLOUGHI REVIEW SPECIAL ISSUE 4

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Was it greed, misunderstanding or National Socialist sympathies that formed the motive for
the forgeries? Or perhaps a bit of everything? In November 1947, he was sentenced to one
year in prison. Before his sentence took effect, Van Meegeren died of a heart attack in
Amsterdam at the age of 58.

Back to our drawing. Now how could van Meegeren have seen and drawn a Sloughi?

We are not entirely sure but it is known that in 1921, from Paris, he made a 3-month journey
through Italy where he visited several places. It is possible that he saw one or more dogs in
France. Old settlers, returning from the North African colonies, often took back home
Sloughis they had received as gifts from the sheiks.

He may also have seen these dogs in Laren in the Netherlands. Van Meegeren had some close
friends living in that village at the time when August Le Gras, after all also a painter, also lived
in Laren, obviously with his Sloughis. We will never be sure!