Scan barcode
A review by tonyzale
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith
4.0
A book that is too quiet and introspective to call a thriller, despite the "art heist" theme. In place of over-the-top action, we're immersed in 3 eras critical to the theft: 1950s Manhattan where a notable Dutch artwork is stolen and swapped with a forgery, 1600s Netherlands where the painting was painted by a woman struggling to manage after her husband's expulsion from the painters' guild, and 21st century Australia, where the forgery and original are brought face to face.
The creation of the replica reveals the forger's love of the craft to be as motivating as the money. The original owner's efforts to track them down goes off scripts when the investigation loses focus and becomes a personal relationship. Meanwhile, the original painter navigates poverty and the arbitrary power structure of her day to create a piece still impacting lives hundreds of years later.
The creation of the replica reveals the forger's love of the craft to be as motivating as the money. The original owner's efforts to track them down goes off scripts when the investigation loses focus and becomes a personal relationship. Meanwhile, the original painter navigates poverty and the arbitrary power structure of her day to create a piece still impacting lives hundreds of years later.