At the end of high-school I had two clear career paths in front of me and a choice I knew would have a major impact on the rest of my life. One path was safe: the bright world of advertising and marketing. An exciting prospect, since I knew it would allow me to study a myriad of subjects, from photography and design to linguistics and economics.
The other was the uncertain world of art restoration. I say uncertain because I knew a certain level of investment and “connections” (both of which I didn’t have) was needed to make a living out of it in Portugal, and even then it was risky. The option of leaving the country never crossed my mind, and even if it did, it was beyond my means. All the same, I have the feeling it’s the closest I’ve had to a Calling.
In the end, I followed the bright lights and the road more travelled. I don’t regret it, but truth be told, I wonder sometimes. I think I’ve said it here before, but my perfect job now would be to do communications for the likes of UNESCO (if anyone there is reading this, my email address is right there on the top-left!).
All this to say that “Art restoration, conservation and business” will be my second biggest theme of the “One, Two, Theme” Challenge. Once again, if you have any recommendations not included below, it would be great to hear them!
And without further ado:
(first stab at)
A Reading List for “One, Two, Theme” Challenge
Theme 5: Art restoration, conservation and business
- The Art Detective: Fakes, Frauds, and Finds and the Search for Lost Treasures by Philip Mould
“Philip Mould, one of the world’s foremost authorities on British portraiture and an irreverent and delightful expert for the 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 opportunities.” GR - A Closer Look: Conservation of Paintings by David Bomford
“A Closer Look: Conservation of Paintings discusses the material nature of paintings and the ways that they have changed, both naturally and at the hands of previous restorers.” GR - Art Restoration: The Culture, the Business and the Scandal by James Beck
“Professor Beck inquires into the social, cultural and, increasingly, commercial factors that underlie the recent state of restorations that has produced what amounts to a restoration establishment with its own networks, priorities and interests.” GR - I Bought Andy Warhol by Richard Polsky
“In 1987, Richard Polsky put aside $100,000 to buy a Warhol painting, a dream that took twelve years to realize. In a book that spans the years from the wild speculation of the late 1980s to the recession of the 1990s, Polsky, himself a private dealer, takes his readers on a funny, fast-paced tour through an industry characterized by humor, hypocrisy, greed, and gossip.” GR - The Caravaggio Conspiracy by Peter Watson
Investigative reporter poses as dealer to recover stolen paintings. Sub-title: “how five art dealers, four policemen, three picture restorers, two auction houses, and a journalist plotted to recover some of the world’s most beautiful stolen paintings” - The Art of the Steal: Inside the Sotheby’s-Christie’s Auction House Scandal by Christopher Manson
“It offers an unprecedented look inside this secretive, glamorous, gold-plated industry, describing just how Sotheby’s and Christie’s grew from clubby, aristocratic businesses into slick international corporations. And it shows how the groundwork for the most recent illegal activities was laid decades before the perpetrators were caught by federal prosecutors.” GR
- The Raphael Affair (Jonathan Argyll & Flavia di Stefano #1) by Iain Pears
“When a long-lost Raphael resurfaces, it triggers a chain of events from vandalism…to murder! As English art scholar Jonathan Argyll investigates, he ends up on a run for the truth…and his very own life.” GR - An Object of Beauty by Steve Martin
“Lacey Yeager is young, captivating, and ambitious enough to take the NYC art world by storm. Groomed at Sotheby’s and hungry to keep climbing the social and career ladders put before her. Her ascension to the highest tiers of the city parallel the soaring heights – and, at times, the dark lows – of the art world and the country from the late 1990s through today.” GR - The Kill Artist (Gabriel Allon, #1) by Daniel Silva
One of a series of books about Gabriel Allon, a paintings restorer who is also a Mossad agent (how cool does that sound!?). - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
It is 1996 and Hanna Heath, an Australian book conservator has been asked to analyze and treat the Sarajevo Haggadah which has been salvaged from a Bosnian museum.
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December 9, 2010 at 12:33 pm
Falaise
I was going to recommend the whole series of both Iain Pears and Daniel Silva but you got there first!!
Headlong by Michael Frayn is a good story about an art historian trying to acquire a Bruegels on the cheap. Lots of art titbits of information.
December 9, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Alex
I was checking it out on GoodRead and it does sound good! I’ll added it to the fiction list. Thanks!
December 9, 2010 at 1:31 pm
Christina
Art restoration always sounded like an interesting career. There’s a university in the state next to me that specializes in historical buildings and art restoration, and I wish I could take a few of those classes. I’m really intrigued by the books on Sotheby’s and Christie’s and recovering stole art.
December 10, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Joanna
I know absolutely NOTHING about this so can’t really help. But I hear that the Steve Martin book is good! 🙂
December 10, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Nymeth
Like Joanna I know nothing about this subject, but the fiction list all sounds extremely interesting!
December 13, 2010 at 6:49 am
Eva
Fun list! I ended up abandoning People of the Book and I wasn’t a huge fan of The Kill Artist, but your nonfiction choices all sound really neat. 🙂
December 13, 2010 at 12:18 pm
Alex
@Christina: Sotheby’s has also been in my dream-job list and I’m a bit afraid that book will be a harsh call to reality…
@Joanna: Yes, it’s all over the book blogosphere and I didn’t even know he was an author until recently! Yesterday I say you have People of the Book in your shelves, may I borrow it?
@Nymeth: All the same, let me know if you come across anything about this theme in the upcoming year!
@Eva: To tell the truth, I’m more excited about the non-fiction than the fiction one 🙂
December 30, 2010 at 6:42 pm
Mady
I’ve also had a small passion for restauration (I do like art and I’m conscious that my skill is not good enough to create art…) but it was always minor. However, I do like to read about art and I’m always curious about it! I’ve not read any of your non-fiction choices, so I’ll be alert to your reviews.
Also just checking that you have read “A Tábua de Flandres” by Arturo Pérez Reverte?
January 3, 2011 at 3:06 pm
Alex
Yes, A Tabua de Flanderes was probably my favorite art restoration book so far! Let me know if anything interesting comes your way on this theme, ok?
January 6, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Mady
Ah, I also thought you’d read it, I think I read it in my early BC times 🙂 I would be curious to try to read along with you on this theme (most likely the fiction ones… non-fiction I may wait for your veredict ;)) – these seem easy to get from the library.
February 1, 2011 at 4:53 pm
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