The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th Century Bookseller's Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece
Written by Laura Cumming
Narrated by Siobhan Redmond
4/5
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About this audiobook
A Wall Street Journal Top 10 Nonfiction Book of 2016
“As compelling and entertaining as a detective novel” (The Economist), the incredible true story—part art history and part mystery—of a Velázquez portrait that went missing and the obsessed nineteenth-century bookseller determined to prove he had found it.
When John Snare, a nineteenth century provincial bookseller, traveled to a liquidation auction, he found a vivid portrait of King Charles I that defied any explanation. The Charles of the painting was young—too young to be king—and yet also too young to be painted by the Flemish painter to whom the piece was attributed. Snare had found something incredible—but what?
His research brought him to Diego Velázquez, whose long-lost portrait of Prince Charles has eluded art experts for generations. Velázquez (1599–1660) was the official painter of the Madrid court, during the time the Spanish Empire teetered on the edge of collapse. When Prince Charles of England—a man wealthy enough to help turn Spain’s fortunes—proposed a marriage with a Spanish princess, he allowed just a few hours to sit for his portrait, and Snare believed only Velázquez could have been the artist of choice. But in making his theory public, Snare was ostracized and forced to choose, like Velázquez himself, between art and family.
A thrilling investigation into the complex meaning of authenticity and the unshakable determination that drives both artists and collectors of their work, The Vanishing Velázquez is a “brilliant” (The Atlantic) tale of mystery and detection, of tragic mishaps and mistaken identities, of class, politics, snobbery, crime, and almost farcical accident that reveals how one historic masterpiece was crafted and lost, and how far one man would go to redeem it. Laura Cumming’s book is “sumptuous...A gleaming work of someone at the peak of her craft” (The New York Times).
Laura Cumming
Laura Cumming has been the art critic of The Observer (London) since 1999. Previously, she was arts editor of The New Statesman (UK), literary editor of The Listener (UK), and deputy editor of Literary Review. She is a former columnist for The Herald (Scotland) and has contributed to the Evening Standard (London), The Guardian, L’Express, and Vogue. Her book The Vanishing Velazquez was longlisted for the Bailie Gifford Prize and was a New York Times bestseller.
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Reviews for The Vanishing Velázquez
81 ratings9 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A lyrical double portrait of two very different men, two very different eras. Threaded together expertly with illuminating insights into art. Into the act of seeing and what it means to be the seer.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Beautifully written by someone familiar with the art world and Velasquez in particular. She turns a convoluted and ultimately sad story into an interesting lesson on the frailty of human judgement, the persistence of passion, and the fragility of art, as well as its power.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The author obviously has a great love for the works of Velaquez, a Spanish artist of the 19th Century. This book, however, focuses on one man, John Snare who was a minor book dealer and printer. Snare comes upon a work which he believes to be an original Velaquez and pays a small sum for it. This in itself was unusual due to the fact that he was not of the social class to own such a painting. From there on, the book gets complicated as Snare sets up showings of the art which was a portrait of Charles I. After some recognition, the members of the family that once apparently owned the painting accuse Snare of stealing the painting. Once he wins the case and counter sues for compensation for lost income. Then the family wanted to devalue the painting as a fake. In reality, much of the book was a bit too much "art appreciation" of Velaquez, but still very interesting. I did find her writing a bit hard to follow at times.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5This is a double biography of Velazquez and a Victorian English bookseller and printer, John Snare, who became obsessed with a Velazquez portrait of Charles I that he acquired and subsequently let destroy his life. The portrait is lost, and there is no known copy.It’s really equal parts biography, art history, criticism, and philosophy of art, with an autobiographical framing device. Highly recommended.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5[The Vanishing Velazquez] by [[Laura Cumming]][The Vanishing Velazquez] is a tribute to the 17th century Spanish artist, Diego Velazquez. Little is known about Velazquez except that he was the primary artist at the court of Philip IV and that he is revered by other artists for his realistic portraits and incredibly minimalist brushstroke and lack of reworking. He is also revered by the author of this book, [[Laura Cumming]]. Her exuberance for his work jumps off every page and makes for an exciting and compelling reading experience. The story she has to tell is admittedly a little thin. She focuses on a portrait of Charles I that Velazquez supposedly did when Charles visited Spain before ascending the throne. There is enough evidence that this portrait was completed but it is lost track of until a bookseller and art lover, John Snare finds what he believes is the lost Velazquez portrait in 1845 at an estate sale. Cumming follows this story in an effort to unravel what was really happening with the benefit of modern research. Along the way she describes as much of Velazquez's life as is known and also analyzes his most famous works of art. Her descriptions of his art and his technique are very well done and I feel I learned a lot. I'd love to see some of these in person - the colored illustrations are beautiful but it would be amazing to see these in real life. I thoroughly enjoyed this. Cumming's adoration is infectious and I couldn't put the book down.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5In 1845, John Snare, owner of a bookshop in Reading, England, came across a painting offered at an estate sale auction that he believed to be a portrait of Charles I painted by Velazquez in 1623 when Charles I had traveled to Spain as a young man. Velazquez had been the official court painter for the Spanish royal family in the 17th century, and was, at the time Snare came across the painting, just becoming well-known in the rest of Europe. Snare ended up sacrificing everything--his family and livelihood included--for the sake of "his Velazquez."This was a fascinating combination of art history and criticism with the solving of a mystery, both by Snare, and in the present day. I learned a lot about Velazquez and his world, and also a lot about the world of Victorian England--a time when art was normally only for the very wealthy and many of the great museums we can visit today to see great art were nonexistent.There was an interesting story about how van Eyck's Marriage of Arnolfini came to reside in the National Gallery in London. It is one of my favorite paintings, and the first to introduce me to art. I first saw it in London when I was 17, and was mesmerized. I was lucky enough to visit it again on my trip in April). It had been residing in Spain, and was looted by Napoleon's armies. As they were fleeing Spain, the French army ran into Wellington, and abandoned some of what was considered "lesser" art on the battlefield. Wellington rescued The Marriage of Arnolfini and took it back to England. Later, the British offered to return the painting to Spain, but Spain declined.I enjoyed this book.3 stars
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The story is lost in the description. She also repeats herself often.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Author Laura Cumming combines what little is known about renowned Spanish court painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) with what little is known about John Snare, a nineteenth century British bookseller. Snare acquired what he believed to be a long-missing Velázquez portrait of King Charles I of England and lost everything--his family, his business, and his reputation--trying to protect it. Cumming has done exhaustive research. She finds many ways to express her appreciation of the singularity of Velázquez's vision, his mastery of his art form, and his broad-minded view of humanity. But as a story, this book has its flaws. The narrative jumps from Velázquez to Snare and back again, giving it a disjointed quality. Because the historical record is incomplete, both the brilliant artist and the hapless bookseller remain mysterious figures. Recommended primarily for readers who share the author's admiration of Velázquez and have some background in art and art history.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A well written account of a 19th. century bookseller, John Snare who happens upon a portrait of a young King Charles I.
Snare doesn't think the artist attributed to the painting is the right one and sets out to prove that it is a Velazquez.
An intriguing story of an obsession which finally turns to triumph.
Laura Cumming writes a well researched, most enjoyable history book.
Highly recommended.
I was given a digital copy of this book by the publisher Scribner via Netgalley in return for an honest unbiased review.