Grafton Public Library

Book Review: The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro

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The Art ForgerIt’s been 24 years since the largest art heist in the world occurred at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston right next to the Museum of Fine Arts. To this day none of the art has been recovered. The Art Forger, by B.A.Shapiro is a fictionalized version of what could have happened to one piece in particular, After the Bath, by Degas. At the heart of this story is Claire Roth, a starving artist type who is barely making a living as a reproductionist. She badly wants a one woman show at a prestigious gallery run by Aiden Markel. It is Markel who strikes a deal with Claire that transforms her from a reproductionist to a forger. What could possibly go wrong? What got my attention in this book was the many insights into the behind the scenes of the art world including cleaning the old canvases and getting a show to a gallery. It’s full immersion art. There are flashbacks to the lifestyle of Isabella Stewart Gardner throughout the book including personal letters to her niece. Even though they are not authentic, Shapiro showed the letters to be full of chatter about her lifestyle and filling her museum with the best art she could acquire. The Art Forger was such an inspiration to me that I went to the Worcester Art Museum and viewed the works with a new appreciation of the artists’ skills. In addition the collection of armor and artifacts from the Higgins Armory was an added pleasure. There’s much to recommend Shapiro’s first work – local history, drama, relationships with a heavy dose of moral dilemma. I give the book 4 impressionists. Happy reading from Beverly   Download The Art Forger eBook Download The Art Forger eAudio Request The Art Forger in hardcover Request The Art Forger in paperback Request The Art Forger in Large Print Request The Art Forger on audio CD Request The Art Forger on a Playaway

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