Forgery

Reading copy Leeds Snowriders’ promo shot in haunting echo of scandal which rocked the art world.


With its striking originality and careful composition, the Leeds Snowriders’ promo photo was the toast of the photography world.

So imagine the horror when members of the snow club discovered their ground breaking shot had been imitated by lowly Reading.

Reading weak…a poor imitation

The familiar image sees four female students from the 176th-ranked uni sporting only ski trip hoodies, accompanied by an awkward male.

In a haunting echo of Han van Meegeren’s forgery of Vermeer’s Supper at Emmaus, Reading’s effort is a crude replica, lacking the subtlety or polish of the true master.

The glorious original

The sham shot even appropriates the outdoor setting of the original, though it struggles to reproduce the elegant caption.

Instead it opts for the crude message: “Tour. Where (wet) dreams come true”.

Fans of the Snowriders Facebook page were quick to voice their anger, with Jake Hauser dubbing it a “poor effort”.

For their part, the Leeds Snowriders maintained the grace for which they are famed, writing: “Our girls are fitter.”

The man believed to be behind the forgery, the (aptly named) Liam Savage said: “We loved the idea so much! We had to, who can turn down getting four birds undressed for the sake of good promo?”

The Tab has made its feelings clear, but which do you prefer? Vote now: