[jaydubya2]

Calling it a forgery almost sounds like he was trying to decive someone for finacial gain. Not the case here.

Main Entry: forg·ery Function: noun Inflected Form: plural -er·ies 1 : the act of falsely making, altering, or imitating (as a document or signature) with intent to defraud; also : the crime of committing such an act 2 : something that is forged

[KellyAdmirer]

Exactly. I don't see any "intent to defraud" here at all. This is making something out of nothing. The kids might have gotten a big surprise if they tried to sell the copy as the original, though - the old man might have had a wicked sense of humor. I imagine he did it to prove to himself how good a painter he was, able to pull it off for so long.