Masterpiece

by Thomas Hoving

The dashing director of The National Gallery of Art is pitted against the ambitious, beautiful young woman who is acting director of the Met in a fight for ownership of a masterwork of the Spanish painter Diego Velasquez

Genres: Fiction, Art

336 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Thomas Pearsall Field Hoving was an American museum executive and consultant, best known for serving as the Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

His books primarily focus on art-related subjects, including art forgeries, Grant Wood, Andrew Wyeth, Tutankhamen, and the 12th-century walrus ivory crucifix known as the Bury St. Edmunds Cross. His memoir, Making the Mummies Dance, details his years at the Met.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

The dialogue and political vibe slowed the pace down for me and I couldn't keep track of all the characters. I liked the premis of the story.

[Nancy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author,Thomas Hoving, was formerly director of the Metropolitan Museum and his non-fiction books King of the Confessors and Making the Mummies Dance were exceptional. I can't say the same thing about this novel.

The non-fiction works were filled with insider information on the search for high-stakes "major finds" in the art world and were fast-paced and filled with real-world intrigue. The novel felt contrived compared with the actual case-studies. And, the dialogue seemed very artificial. I'm puzzled that he was so successful in making his non-fiction come alive and so unsuccessful in breathing life into his novel.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very entertaining: lots of twists and turns. How to obtain a prized portrait showing snarky board members, conniving sellers and scheming curators. A great tale told by the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This is a work of fiction.

[Jeanne Mac · Rating 1 out of 5]

boring

[Tonia · Rating 3 out of 5]

neat look at the art world