texreader 's review for:

Thunderclap: A Memoir of Art and Life & Sudden Death by Laura Cumming

4.0

inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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Focusing on Dutch artist C. Fabritius and his painting A View of Delft with a Musical Instrument Seller’s Stall, painted in 1652, the author tells Fabritius’s story, her own, her father’s, Delftt, and other Dutch artists. In other words, it is an all-encompassing book about Dutch art history but always comes back to Fabritius. He was killed as a result of a “thunderclap” of an explosion of stored gunpowder near his house, but that killed many more. Fabritius’s life was cut very short and the author wonders what more he could have created. There’s an excellent examination of one of his most famous works, The Goldfinch. I really liked the audiobook—the author has a beautiful and calming voice—but you must have the ebook or real book so you can look at the artwork while listening to her.