The Art Detective: Fakes, Frauds, and Finds and the Search for Lost Treasuresby Philip Mould
Viking, 2010. 261 pgs. Nonfiction
Philip Mould, one of the world's foremost authorities on British portraiture and an irreverent and delightful expert for the original Antiques Roadshow, serves up his secrets and his best stories, blending the technical details of art detection and restoration with juicy tales peopled by a range of eccentric collectors, scholars, forgers, and opportunists.
The premise of this book is really exciting, and some of the stories are too. The author is certainly an expert in his field and I learned a lot more about the world of art, including how paintings are priced and how they are restored. However, I had a hard time getting through it due to the rather dense and sometimes patronizing writing style. This is a good read if you are already interested in the subject of art and if you have the patience to make it through the writing.
JC
No comments:
Post a Comment