Artists Who Read discussion

In the last few years, I've read several books I enjoyed with artists in them. I'd particularly like recommendations with painters in them, but anything you have enjoyed (or disliked) is appreciated.

The Art ForgerArt Forger by B. A. Shapiro - a woman artist agrees to forge a painting in return for a one-woman show

The Last Painting of Sara de VosThe Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith - characters surrounding the provenance of a fictional Dutch landscape and its forgery

44 Scotland Street44 Scotland Street series (14 books) by Alexander McCall Smith - there's an artist minor character named Angus Lordie, a gallery owner Matthew, and repeated mentions of Scottish artist, Samuel John Peploe. It's only a small part of the books, but I enjoyed these bits.

Two best-sellers last year had a tiny and somewhat unbelievable art component:
The Great Alone
Where the Crawdads Sing
(I'd love to discuss whether you found these details believable in a new thread.)

Noticed this "group" on a search, so thought I'd double the membership. Though I write art fiction, I've read a number of outstanding books in the category over the years including The Flanders Panel, The Forgery of Venus and A Piece of the World, to name just a few. There is an excellent website devoted to fiction and the arts, artinfiction.com, which I highly recommend.

Thank you, Arthur! I look forward to visiting the website and looking at the books you suggested. BTW, my husband is named Arthur.

One of my artist reader friends at the gallery recommended The Stolen Lady to me. It sounds like it covers some of the same territory as Oil & Marble which I read this year. Has anyone read both? Comments?

Just finished The Last Mona Lisa and enjoyed it very much. Well-written art fiction.

The luncheon of the Boating Party is good.

Not sure if this is allowed, but might I suggest my book, For the Minds and Wills of Men? Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Franz Kline, the Cold War, loosely based on true events -- the MoMA, CIA...

Amid the Red Scare and Cold War in mid-century Manhattan, a stolen Jackson Pollock is thought to contain communist secrets. Insurance agent Will Oxley enters the seductive art underworld and is caught in a deadly blend of romance, espionage, and betrayal.

I think we're members of a pretty exclusive group, Jeff, and I'm pleased to have you suggest your new novel (which I plan to order and review). In mock retaliation, I'll direct you to my own art novels: Artist, Soldier, Lover, Muse; The Caroline Paintings and Michelangelo of the Midway. The first, like yours, is set in the NYC art world (in this case in the late Thirties). I look forward to reading your book.

Thanks for joining Jeff! I’ll have to add to my list soon. I saw Loving Frank was on your TBR. I loved that book.

I recently read Full Spectrum. It was fascinating. Informationally dense. I wish there had been a college class solely on the subject.

Thanks, Arthur ... I'm interested in a few of your books, actually, now that I perused them: Artist, Soldier, Lover, Muse as well as Road Trips through the Art and Soul of America ... particularly the last one. Seems fun and interesting.

Yes, Loving Frank has been on my list for a while and I just haven't gotten to it. Maybe for thxgiving break.

I personally don't find B.A. Shapiro's books all that good. I recently finished The Collector's Apprentice and kind of found it lacking.

Glad to have found this group... !

I tend to agree with you, Jeff, re Barbara Shapiro's books. The Art Forger was pretty good, but I've not been too enamored of her subsequent efforts. I think she's moved away from the art-themed books more recently anyway.

I'm a third of the way through For the Minds and Wills of Men and, so far, thumbs way up. Particularly well-written, which adds depth to an engaging plot. Might like to chat more off-line; I'm reachable through my hittnerbooks.com website.