Han van Meegeren’s death mask (foto Rijksmuseum Amsterdam) HAN VAN MEEGEREN AS PATRICIA HIGHSMITH’S MODEL FOR TOM RIPLEY As a Research Scholar with several Papers written about Han van Meegeren, it was only in 2016 that I first came across the item that the American Novelist Patricia Highsmith had cited Han van Meegeren as the model for her character, the ‘depraved Sociopath‘ (not Highsmith’s characterization) Tom Ripley. (1) In the Ripley Series Tom is not an Art Forger himself like Van Meegeren but an Art Connoisseur and Seller of Forged Artwork, and an admirer (though fictional) of Van Meegeren as was his creator Patricia Highsmith. To compare the personalities of two individuals, one Real and the other Fictional, I would have to treat the Fictional character as a Real person. That comes with the understanding that the Fictional character Tom Ripley is at a disadvantage having had only One True Observer, Patricia Highsmith, whereas Many Living People knew Han van Meegeren and left Statements about him that are On The Record. Since the start of the 20th Century many Psychologists of Personality have developed Taxonomies of Traits to help in determining an individual’s basic (and likely unchangeable) Personality. These Taxonomies … Meer lezen over Janet Wasserman – HAN VAN MEEGEREN AS PATRICIA HIGHSMITH’S MODEL FOR TOM RIPLEY