By Olga Godim
In
the summer 2012, I saw the unique art collection of the Cone sisters from Baltimore . I was
fascinated not only by the great art but also by the unconventional life
stories of the collectors. This book reminded me of that collection, although
its storyline revolves around another great American art collection and another
wealthy female art patron: Isabella Gardner from Boston .
The
book blends fact and fiction. Fact: in 1990, thirteen paintings worth over $500
million dollars were stolen from the Gardner
Museum in Boston . None of the stolen pieces has been
recovered so far. Based on this ‘successful’ heist, Ms. Shapiro spun a
captivating and entirely fictional tale about art and forgery, ambitions and
deceptions.
The
protagonist Claire is a struggling artist in Boston . She makes her living by painting
copies/reproductions of the classical 19th century artists for the fictitious
company Reproductions.com. She also paints her original painting, but there is
a problem: she has been blackballed by most of the local art world because of a
scandal three years earlier, the scandal that entailed lies and betrayal by
someone Claire trusted and loved.
When
an owner of a prestigious Boston art gallery
Aidan Markel appears in her studio and offers her a deal with the devil: to
make a forgery of one of the paintings stolen from the Gardner Museum
during the 1990 heist, Claire is torn. She knows it’s wrong, but Markel offers
her a good payoff and a solo show of her original painting in his gallery. His
honeyed promises and convoluted explanations overcome Claire’s scruples, and
the promise of her own show seals the deal; she agrees.
The
story that follows echoes Claire’s scandalous affair three years ago, which is
disclosed in parallel with the current timeline. In both, the tension builds to
the breaking point. In both, Claire is betrayed. But is she an innocent dupe or
an ambitious artist, willing to sell her soul for a chance to get her art and her
name ‘out there’?
![]() |
B. A. Shapiro |
The
writer asks her readers a series of poignant questions. How much is an artist
willing to sacrifice for her art? Would she commit a crime? Would he betray a
friend? Would she stoop to forgery? And is forgery really a crime? Does a
famous name equal great art? Or is it our society’s obsession with celebrities
talking? What if Mona Lisa was painted by John Smith? Would we still admire
her?
Claire
is a multidimensional character, talented and compassionate. She stands out
from the pages like a living, breathing woman and a consummate artist. Her art
defines her, makes her what she is. In this sense, her romantic liaisons with
men – three years ago and now – are extraneous for the plotline. They could be
dropped entirely without the story suffering. In fact, they feel like the
writer’s concession to the common demand for a love story. But Claire has the
love of her life already – the love for her art. She doesn’t seem to need men.
The
other characters in the novel are all rather sketchy, serving as a background
for Claire. Fortunately, her personality is so big and colorful that it carries
the novel. And the underlying flavor of mystery, where Claire pays a sleuth in
the field of arts, enriches the book considerably.
The
author’s research was obviously extensive. The engrossing real-life stories of
famous forgers, included as vignettes in the book, add an enchanting layer of
truth to the fictional account of Claire and her forgery.
I
also learned a new word: craquelure.
Craquelure – a net of cracks in old paintings – occurs when paintings age and
the paint on them dries and shrinks. Craquelure is often used as a way to
determine a forgery, but as you can guess, it can be forged too.
All
in all – an enjoyable read, a subtle but powerful hymn to the art and its
creators. Four stars.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
About the Reviewer - Olga Godim is a writer and journalist from Vancouver , Canada . Her articles appear regularly in local newspapers, but her passion is fiction. Her short stories have been published in several internet magazines, including Lorelei Signal, Sorcerous Signals, Aoife’s Kiss, Silver Blade, and other publications. In her free time, she writes novels, collects toy monkeys, and posts book reviews on GoodReads. Her first novel, Lost and Found in Russia , has just been released from Eternal Press.
This sounds like well written, well researched fiction based on real life events. Great review.
ReplyDelete2015-7-24 xiaozhengm
ReplyDeletesnapback hats wholesale
air max shoes
cheap beats headphones
ed hardy
ralph lauren
michael kors outlet online
prada handbags
coach outlet online
oakley sunglasses
michael kors
fitflops sale clearance
kate spade
cheap jordans for sale
michael kors handbags
abercrombie outlet
oakley sunglasses outlet
coach outlet store online
snabacks wholesale
ray bans
ray ban outlet
borse louis vuitton
gucci outlet
michael kors bag
fitflops outlet
coach outlet online
kate spade uk
coach factory outlet
toms shoes outlet
nike tn pas cher
prada outlet
chaussure louboutin
cheap oakley sunglasses
gucci outlet
sac longchamp
coach factory outlet
michael kors outlet
kate spade handbags
michael kors outlet online
burberry scarf
louis vuitton
soccer shoes
ReplyDeletemizuno running
tommy hilfiger outlet
coach outlet online
marc jacobs outlet
ugg boots, http://www.cheapuggboots.net.co
ray ban sunglasses
denver broncos jerseys
tiffany outlet, http://www.tiffany-outlet.us.com/
gucci,borse gucci,gucci sito ufficiale,gucci outlet
air jordan 4
cheap ugg boots, http://www.cheapuggboots.net.co
chanel handbags, http://www.chanelhandbags-outlet.co.uk/
michael kors outlet, http://www.michaelkorsoutlet-store.us.com
baltimore ravens jerseys
michael kors outlet, http://www.michaelkorsoutletcanada.in.net
ray-ban sunglasses, http://www.rayban-sunglassess.us.com/
nike free
links of london
calvin klein underwear
michael kors wallet, http://www.michaelkorswallet.net/
michael kors uk outlet
louis vuitton outlet store, http://www.louisvuittonoutletstore.name/
new balance 574
coach outlet
coach handbags, http://www.coachhandbagsoutletonline.us.com/
cheap snapbacks
designer handbags,handbags outlet,cheap handbags,purses and handbags,wholesale handbags,designer bags,bags outlet,handbags wholesale,cheap purses,discount handbags,handbags sale,wholesale purses,handbags and purses,designer purses
hollister uk
new balance shoes
calvin klein outlet
atlanta falcons jersey
evening dresses
the north face outlet
0911maoqiuyun
crx123
ReplyDeleteto mac cosmetics note burberry outlet online that mercurial superfly this adidas superstar will marc jacobs handbags actually michael kors be ray ban outlet an nike store exponential timberland outlet increase hollister in louis vuitton giving tory burch sandals due nike air max to ray ban the michael kors purses considerably air max higher tiffany and co jewelry levels longchamp of longchamp outlet growth michael kors that hollister such tory burch sandals churches true religion jeans outlet experience abercrombie.com (more converse sneakers people michael kors outlet online sale giving giuseppe zanotti more). nike free run 5.0 These raybans.com giving adidas dynamics gucci outlet are bcbg max even prada shoes for men further nfl jerseys boosted iphone 6 case when juicy couture outlet we toms shoes outlet recognise north face that uggs outlet the burberry very mizuno wave definition nike of converse a uggs outlet healthier michael kors outlet online church nike outletnorth face jackets
2016-02-18keyun
ReplyDeleteair max 95
micheael kors outlet
uggs sale
louis vuitton bags
chanel bags
louis vuitton
lebron 13
louis vuitton outlet
toms
michael kors outlet
louis vuitton bags
nike huarache white
abercrombie outlet
coach factory outlet
coach outlet
abercrombie and fitch
gucci handbags
uggs on sale
north face
nfl jerseys
burberry sale
ray ban sunglasses outlet
true religion outlet
ralph lauren
ray-ban sunglasses
abercrombie and fitch
kobe 8
supra shoes
kobe 10
true religion jeans outlet
louis vuitton
louis vuitton outlet
kate spade handbags
michael kors outlet
christian louboutin outlet
louis vuitton outlet stores
replica rolex watches
cheap ugg boots
cheap uggs
canada goose