Until the 14th century, nearly 1000 years of Christianity dominated the market with their own fighting arts standards. All art turned against Christian symbols, especially for the decoration of the church. In the 14-15th-century wealthy merchant and banker to the art buyer. Originally from Italy and then France, Britain, Spain, etc. followed. With the rise of the art market, as well as replica and forgery increased. Especially Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, Raphael and Albrecht Dürer became famous. However it is difficult to say if all the copies were made with the purpose of counterfeiting, because many artists such as Michelangelo has copied their masters students to learn and practice. Usually painters sell copies of her students to do as a way to pay off to teach them.
The first art gallery was built at the beginning of the 18th century in England. And also the famous auction house Christie's and Sotheby's was founded in the second half of this century in London. In the late 18th and early 19th-century art museum established throughout Europe and the people began painting professionally documented in the catalog.
Until the first world war, people do not really worry about the copy of the painting. This particular change with a new copyright law that better protects the artists at this time. But many old works in the public domain - such as a thumb rule all created before 1920 is in the public domain.
Among the most fake painting is the "Mona Lisa" by Michelangelo, Albrecht Dürer self-portrait of "The Kiss" by Gustav Klimt to name a few. But it also presents the art of fake art museum recently opened, usually with no other attractions. Strangely Vienna also has a museum of fake art as well, although it must attract tourists to the cultural richness as well. So it seems the art of counterfeiting is still a trend since the 4th century BC.
Currently there are weapons of forensic tools to determine whether a painting is the original or a modern copy. But if you are not a serious art investor with pockets full of money, probably a copy of an old masterpiece can also inspire you at home. Pablo Picasso once said "Everything you can imagine is real".