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Mysteries from the art world and the authors who love them
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What's her secret?
Perhaps it happened when Dan Brown turned Leonardo da Vinci into a secretive, code-weaving, man of mystery. Shortly thereafter (and likely owing no credit to Mr. Brown) came Jonathan Harr's masterpiece, The Lost Painting, the story of the lost history and then discovery of Caravaggio's "The Taking of Christ." Regardless of the origins of the phenomenon, the art world as an obscure culture of theft, intrigue and international scandal seems to be captivating authors more than ever. Three recently released books tackle the subject
The Lost Chalice: The Epic Hunt for a Priceless Masterpiece by Vernon Silver - Journalist and archaeologist Vernon Silver's new book is a tale of two chalices, both made by Euphronios, an ancient Greek potter and vase painter. One mysteriously appeared in the 1970s, robbed from a grave, only to disappear after an even more mysterious auction in the 1990s. The other sat enthroned in the Met until 2008, when it was returned to Italy in a dressed-up mea culpa by the American art market. Silver describes the chalices from the perspectives of their artistic merit as well as their international adventures.
Rogues Gallery: The Secret History of the Moguls and the Money that Made the Metropolitan Museum by Michael Gross - And speaking of the Met, Michael Gross, king of insider gossip of the rich and powerful has turned his juicy muck-raking eye on the proud cultural beacon at 1000 Fifth Avenue. Gross's account of stolen art, faked masterpieces, shallow patrons and greedy directors leaves the prestigious museum looking like, in the words of Publishers Weekly, "the world's most glamorous whore." Still, you can love the Met and love this book, a true summertime guilty pleasure.
Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of Mona Lisa by R. A. Scotti - On August 22, 1911 the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. Even stranger, no one noticed for 24 hours. Stranger still, the prime suspect was Pablo Picasso! The city mourned, the police force fumed, and the case remains unsolved. Scotti's account of this bizarre crime, the eventual recovery of the painting, as well as the flavor and feel of Paris nearly one hundred years ago amounts to what Dwight Garner calls "a rolling, clattering piece of entertainment."
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