You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I enjoyed the three time periods which were very well handled to create suspense. I liked the way things came together. I found the very last chapter a bit superfluous.
Inspired by female Dutch painters of the Golden Age, The Last Painting of Sara de Vos is composed of stories from three different time periods, which center around a painting created by the fictional Sara de Vos. In the author notes, Dominic Smith explains that he used “biographical details from several women’s lives of the Dutch Golden Age” in creating the character of Sara de Vos, and her story and the time period are brought to life through beautiful and expressive detail.
As mentioned, the book moves back and forth between three different time periods chapter by chapter. The first one being Amsterdam in 1631 when Sara de Vos becomes the first female painter to be admitted to the Guild of St. Luke as a master painter. We are taken through momentous moments of her life including how she came to create the painting called At the Edge of a Wood, which becomes the centrepiece and connecting thread in the novel. The second time period is set in 1957 New York, where we meet Marty de Groot who is the owner of At the Edge of a Wood and what has come to be known as the only surviving work of Sara de Vos. A grad student, Ellie Shipley agrees to create a forgery of the painting for an art dealer and her story inevitably becomes interconnected with the owner of the painting. Lastly these stories converge in the year 2000 in Sydney, Australia where Ellie is a successful art historian and curator, and her past involvement in creating a fake Sara de Vos painting may become exposed.
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos is an intriguing novel that weaves together three interesting stories and brings to life a fascinating figure in Sara de Vos and an historic part of the art world in the Golden Age. It is well written with characters that are full of depth and nuance. The stories and time periods weave together seamlessly, with each being captivating and engrossing in its own way. I enjoyed delving into the various aspects of the art world and particularly learning a little about female painters during the Dutch Golden Age, which I am interested in learning more about and exploring further. This is a well written and researched novel that I would recommend to those with an interest in art and history.
As mentioned, the book moves back and forth between three different time periods chapter by chapter. The first one being Amsterdam in 1631 when Sara de Vos becomes the first female painter to be admitted to the Guild of St. Luke as a master painter. We are taken through momentous moments of her life including how she came to create the painting called At the Edge of a Wood, which becomes the centrepiece and connecting thread in the novel. The second time period is set in 1957 New York, where we meet Marty de Groot who is the owner of At the Edge of a Wood and what has come to be known as the only surviving work of Sara de Vos. A grad student, Ellie Shipley agrees to create a forgery of the painting for an art dealer and her story inevitably becomes interconnected with the owner of the painting. Lastly these stories converge in the year 2000 in Sydney, Australia where Ellie is a successful art historian and curator, and her past involvement in creating a fake Sara de Vos painting may become exposed.
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos is an intriguing novel that weaves together three interesting stories and brings to life a fascinating figure in Sara de Vos and an historic part of the art world in the Golden Age. It is well written with characters that are full of depth and nuance. The stories and time periods weave together seamlessly, with each being captivating and engrossing in its own way. I enjoyed delving into the various aspects of the art world and particularly learning a little about female painters during the Dutch Golden Age, which I am interested in learning more about and exploring further. This is a well written and researched novel that I would recommend to those with an interest in art and history.
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is exactly the sort of book I should have loved - I mean really loved to the point of drooling. History, art, mystery, female protagonist and a hint of "antique's roadshow" style discovery - all the ingredients for a personal firework display. This book was in fact a pleasure to read- the actual writing is quite gorgeous and it is impeccably structured. While not riveted, I was happy to keep reading though not compelled to stay up late or miss my train stop. Overall I found the characters to be disappointing and dispassionate. It's a satisfying plot, brilliant prose and well put together about a subject I love and yet for me it went off like a damp squib.
A story that spans over time and links all the characters through a love of art.
There has been a plethora of postive reviews about the novel and for many it has become one of their favourite books of last year. I came to the pages with no expectations because if I had I would have been more disappointed than what I was.
Smith tells the story of the last painting over three time periods involving two sets of characters. He knows his stuff and researched the intracies of the art world really well. At times too well, as I found myself reading several pages about the construction of the packing box for a piece of artwork. We even got down to the detail of the screws that were used! Some of the information was really crucial and invoked a strong sense of place. The descriptions when Ellie are undertaking her work are absorbing but in other places (like remove a painting from case) perhaps not so much information was required. Smith can really create wonderful images with his writing and the characters are all strongly formed.
What for me was the downside was the story? I do not have any problems with stories that go back and forth through time with two different tales being woven into one. (Perhaps it should be considered its own genre.) No that was not it. I just read the story got to the end and was like okay. No surprises, no big twist, no nothing, just an ending that was, well, okay. Until the ending I was enjoying the read and thought the direction was going somewhere but no. For me it was just a bit a flat.
Smith is well researched, writes with flair and creates some strong characters. I just found the overall story not that well developed. I do understand why people love the story but it did not completely work for me.
There has been a plethora of postive reviews about the novel and for many it has become one of their favourite books of last year. I came to the pages with no expectations because if I had I would have been more disappointed than what I was.
Smith tells the story of the last painting over three time periods involving two sets of characters. He knows his stuff and researched the intracies of the art world really well. At times too well, as I found myself reading several pages about the construction of the packing box for a piece of artwork. We even got down to the detail of the screws that were used! Some of the information was really crucial and invoked a strong sense of place. The descriptions when Ellie are undertaking her work are absorbing but in other places (like remove a painting from case) perhaps not so much information was required. Smith can really create wonderful images with his writing and the characters are all strongly formed.
What for me was the downside was the story? I do not have any problems with stories that go back and forth through time with two different tales being woven into one. (Perhaps it should be considered its own genre.) No that was not it. I just read the story got to the end and was like okay. No surprises, no big twist, no nothing, just an ending that was, well, okay. Until the ending I was enjoying the read and thought the direction was going somewhere but no. For me it was just a bit a flat.
Smith is well researched, writes with flair and creates some strong characters. I just found the overall story not that well developed. I do understand why people love the story but it did not completely work for me.
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Quite engaging and deeply satisfying to the art history nerd in me. I enjoyed the writer's style which made scenes vivid with insightful details but not at the expense of plot and pacing.
This was a very enjoyable novel about paintings and the people who create and/or love them- everything The Goldfinch was not. It bounces back and forth in time, but in a way that makes total sense to the unfolding of the story. In my mind, I can clearly see the painting, even though it never existed, as the author uses such vibrant descriptive language. The characters are well-developed, though flawed, and I really got a sense of time and place for each setting. The information about forging a painting was interesting to read as well, and reminded me (in a good way) of The Art Forger. I am interested in checking out the author's other books.
I loved this. The writing is elegant and I thought the three time periods played off against each other very well.
A wonderful book, from beginning to end. Dominic Smith brings alive not one but three worlds: the golden age of Holland mid 1600's, the early 1950's in New York, and the present time. We follow the lives of Sara de Vos, a Dutch artist who is left by her husband to pick up the pieces of her life alone, Marty de Groot, a man living in New York who has inherited his wealth from his Dutch ancestors, and Eleanor Shipley, a young penniless art history major who is asked to forge a painting by Sara de Vos and does, an act that haunts her all her life. Smith evokes these three worlds effortlessly, moving back and forth to tell his fascinating story, describing the paintings and artists at work deftly and believable. He's done a lot of research. He is an excellent writer and I am going to read a previous novel by him right away. For people not interested in painting or art, this may not be for them, but for those who do, this is a work of art. Read it.