First published 2006
Jonathan Harr follows three art experts on their quest to authenticate a missing Caravaggio masterpiece. British art historian Denis Mahon has spent decades studying the Italian master, even discovering an authentic Saint John the Baptist in Rome's mayoral office in 1952. Young Roman scholar Francesca Cappelletti digs through forgotten family archives in Recanati, uncovering crucial documents about Caravaggio's lost work The Taking of Christ. Meanwhile, restorer Sergio Benedetti works at Dublin's National Gallery, ready to examine any potential discovery. When Cappelletti's archival research leads to a dusty painting in a Jesuit house, Benedetti must determine whether centuries of grime conceal a genuine Caravaggio depicting Christ's betrayal by Judas. The three scholars face professional rivalries and academic jealousies as they piece together evidence. Harr weaves their modern detective work with Caravaggio's turbulent life, showing how the painter moved between wealth and poverty, mingling with outcasts and earning prestigious commissions before his mysterious death. The book reveals both the meticulous process of art authentication and the passionate world of scholars who dedicate their careers to recovering lost treasures.
Genres: biography, art, historical-fiction, mystery, non-fiction, art-history
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: detective-story, historical-mystery, scholarly-pursuit
Setting: Dublin, Italy, Recanati, Rome
Period: 20th-century
296 pages · Hardcover · Rizzoli