Art series

 In A Deceptive Clarity by Aaron Elkins Dr. Chris Norgren a Renaissance art expert who is a curator for the San Francisco County Museum of Art is introduced. He is headed to Berlin  to help with an exhibition of art tracked down since WWII by the military including finds in caves and other art 'liberated' by the Nazis.
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Durer - Self portrait

The exhibition, 'The Plundered Past' includes twenty priceless works of art thought to have been lost forever. They have been returned to their previous owner Mr. Bolzano who has agreed  to allow them to be exhibited. Peter van Cortlandt one of Chris's bosses meets him in Berlin and suggests that there is possibly a forgery among the recovered works and before this can be confirmed is found dead in unusual circumstances.

 At about the same time Chris himself is attacked while interrupting a theft attempt of the paintings.

El Greco-Purification at the Temple

The painting in question is El Greco's Purification at the Temple

Norgren goes to to Florence to
meet with the Bolzanos who are providing the works of art for the exhibit.  He wants to  look over the paintings before they are shipped.

In this first book a question arises that comes up in the next two books.  What is art, more specifically if two paintings are displayed together, looking essentially identical, one being  "genuine', the real thing, and the other a forgery are they or are they not both art?  The answer is simple to Chris Norgren- the forgery is definitely not art. To Mr Bolzano both fit the requirement of beautiful artistic objects, one is just more valuable .

Ruben's Portrait

In The Glancing Light Norgren is now working a a Seattle Art Gallery in the same capacity as a curator of Renaissance and Baroque art. A very valuable Ruben's portrait is found mixed in with a shipment of "authentic reproductions. ' After Chris examines the painting and finds that it is the real thing, he is given a job following up the transaction to see how such a thing could have happened.

Bologna's Piazza Maggiore

This quest takes him to the beautiful city of Bologna, which happens to be a place he has visited before and looks forward to seeing it again.

The theme is interesting and once again the argument comes up about what is art.

Piazza Nattuno

For my part I would be happy to see any of these paintings, in the origin; or as a forgery.

Living in a small town far away from city museums the best I can do is study art books. I am sure I am not alone in this. I am glad there are experts to help solve these problems but they are outside my realm. Of course the way I get to see a bit deeper into the art world is by series such as these which bring me tremendous pleasure.  With Google images by my side at all times via my Ipad I get vicarious trips to exotic locations and beautiful museums.

You would think that paintings done by famous artists a couple of centuries ago would have all come to light by now.  Not so! people are still hoping that some old attics will yield a treasure.

Rembrandt portrait

 In Old Scores Chris Norgren is invited to France to authenticate a newly found Rembrandt. He is to go to Dijon where René Vachey is to exhibit the work of art along with a few other finds.  After the masterpiece is evaluated Chris will be given the portrait to take back to the Seattle Museum of Art.  There is only one catch - there is to be no scientific testing permitted.

Dijon

Naturally Chris smells a rat and one reason for that is René has been a rat in the past. Vachey is actually notorious for art scams in the past. In this case however the rat falls into his own trap and Vachey is murdered shortly after Chris gets the first view of the work of art. Chris himself is almost killed as he tries to untangle this mystery. This is another exciting adventure in the art world as well as in the streets of another beautiful city.


I really wish there were more books in this entrancing series.