I just finished reading this book, The Lost Painting by Jonathan Harr. It was recommended by Tony from my painting class who had seen the post I did about Caravaggio back in March and thought I would enjoy reading it. And I did. I enjoyed peaking into this world of art history and research through the eyes of a young art history student living in Rome and then the authentication and restoration process by an experienced restorer in the National Gallery in Ireland. The book tracks the story of this Caravaggio painting, The Taking of Christ, lost for 200 years and then discovered in the 1990s hanging in a Jesuit rectory in Ireland. It also gives details about Caravaggio's tumultuous life, which I found interesting after having had taken that class at RISD. The man holding the lantern at the right side of the painting is supposed to be Caravaggio himself. He often inserted self portraits in his work. The painting was on display at Boston College in 1999. Wish I had seen it.
The Taking of Christ
Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio
Oil on Canvas: 1598
National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin
4 comments:
I'm going to pick this up. Thanks so much for the recommendation.
I have discovered you recently and I love your work.
I just finised reading a book called The Rescue Artist, about an art detective who finds million dollar paintings. Including The Scream.
I just read another review on this book yesterday and she did not care so much for it! Funny that we all have different perspectives! The painting is wonderful though! I'm currently reading The Forger's Spell, about a guy, Van Meegeren, who forged Vermeers in WWII. So very interesting and I am enjoying it immensely!
Thanks Katie and Sherry for the book recommendations. I can't wait to check them out. Off to the BPL to see if I can find them!
Very interesting, if you like that you may like the book "people of the book", It is based on a true story but some drama added in.
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