PROVENANCE

by C.F. Russell

From the "Whoever collects books, either as a whole or as a part-time job, soon assumes a peculiar form of personality easily recognized by the initiate as that of the book-collector. Primarily such is one who loves books, but this to speak with utmost generality, for the motivation, mediate & immediate, wears a myriad masks, some fascinating & others horrifying. But the extremist is not the best example of any cult. . . What I wish to emphasize is that book-collecting can be an art & that there is a science of this art. In this book you will find the result of some practice of this art. . . this book will establish contact with your other books; together they will, assisted by unseen forces, attract not merely books but what will in many ways alter your life & future in the grand manner. . . Approach each new book positively, fortified with thought, feeling & volition of your own invention. Peer deeply into the roots of every phenomenon so that you may interpret it as a particular dealing of God with your soul. Seize the imponderable that has solidified. See that which can be found in all books because it was first conceived in the hearts of humanity & then by free expression given correct form by all the eight & ninety rules of art. Thus speaks the humble author to the gentle reader, enigmatically, perhaps, but your own soul in a mysterious manner will make its own reply to mine, for we dwell under the same spell, our blood is signed with the same absolutely specific blazon."

95 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1944

About the author

Cecil Frederick Russell, also known underthe motto Genesthai was an occultist and member of the A∴A∴, later founding the G∴B∴G∴ (Great Brotherhood of God, or Gnostic Body of God), which grew out of his Chorononzon Club. Much of his work was later published by his student, Louis T. Culling.

Reviews

[Sophie Morton-Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant - it gripped me from the start and the pacing was spot on. I loved the main character and his apparent apathy towards art and life in general. Five stars 🌟

[James Aslett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book I’ve read by Steven F. Galloway, and it definitely won’t be the last. The story gripped me from the very beginning, and although it appears to draw inspiration from the BBC’s Fake or Fortune (a series that seeks to determine a painting’s authenticity through traditional and scientific means), it wraps the concept up into a gripping page-turner.

The story is told from the perspective of Charlie, a gallery assistant who suddenly finds himself in unlikely possession of a potentially priceless painting, and Dawn, a socially awkward but knowledgable expert on Flemish art. I loved how the book seamlessly switches between the two characters.

Overall, a fantastic read - give it a go!