The Lost Painting - Jonathan Harr

The Biblioteca Hertziana stayed open until nine o'clock every night, and Francesca rarely left before then. At her table, she collected dozens of articles and monographs about Caravaggio and began reading through them. Many offered nothing particularly new or interesting, just the background noise of art scholars going about the business of advancing their opinions or disputing the opinions of their colleagues. Sometimes in an article, a real piece of information--an actual fact, a date, a contract--would emerge from the vast tangled swamps of archives. Then it would be scrutinized and interpreted by the confraternity of Caravaggio scholars, and if it withstood examination, it would assume its place in the assembled landscape of Caravaggio's life.

What a great book! The author does a superb job with a non-fiction tale of art mystery. The search to find a lost Caravaggio painting is fascinating. Research, travel, ancient archives, experts with questionable motives, and one of art's most irascible painters make this a book you won't want to finish. I was amazed at how the author could combine art history, Caravaggio's life, and the world of expert identification of paintings while keeping a mystery moving forward. So often authors lose the impact of a gripping story when they divert into details. Harr is able to seamlessly weave everything together moving from historical facts to the emotions of the investigators. The book would be enjoyable for anyone to read, but if you have any interest in art you will love this book. If you like Caravaggio it is a must read. This is non-fiction at its best.