From the bestselling author of A Civil Action comes a vibrant tale of
discovery: the journey to find a hidden masterpiece by the Italian Baroque master Caravaggio de Michelangelo. 

Art historians, academia, research libraries. Inventories of the wealthiest
Italian families. Dark spaces, dusty canvases. Restorers, curators, the
politics of collecting and establishing provenance. Paintings produced in Italy now hanging in England, Scotland and Russia. Could a painting by a master simply be overlooked after years and years, hanging in an obscure place, the true colors now dulled by layers and layers of grime? And even if it appears to be the real thing, how long would it take to discover when the piece took residence? 

Caravaggio de Michelangelo's dissolute life was short. His talent and
popularity as an artist secured a refuge in Naples, allowing him to continue to paint his officious, bloody, magnificent paintings even as a death sentence was imposed on him in Rome for the murder of a prominent and wealthy citizen. 

During the last decade of the twentieth century, one of what could be dozens of lost Caravaggio paintings was found. Unlike discovering that $5.00 bill in the winter coat you've taken out of the closet, "finding" a lost painting requires great skill, lots of luck and incredible patience. Research must be done, ownership and commissions established. What if the sale of a painting is not recorded? What about copies, many of which were made by skilled craftsmen? 

Jonathan Harr introduces us to three passionate art lovers who were diligent in their knowledge and who came together fortuitously, to be able to prove absolutely the authenticity of a found painting:  Caravaggio's "The Taking of the Christ."

The book is divided into four sections, one for each of the players: Part I is "The Englishman"; Part II is "The Roman Girl"; and Part III is "The Restorer."  The fourth and final section is "The Party", a celebration of this amazing discovery. 

The Englishman is 91-year-old Sir Denis, who, since the death of his rival and nemesis Roberto Longhi, is regarded as the world's foremost authority on Caravaggio. "Sir Denis believed that by studying the work of an artist he could penetrate the mysteries of that man's mind. ... And no copy, however good, could possibly reveal these mysteries. That would be like glimpsing a man's shadow and thinking you could know the man."

The Roman Girl is 24-year-old Francesca Cappelletti, a graduate student at the University of Rome. A perfect job, "in her imagination, was one in which she could spend her life in libraries studying art history."  Establishing provenance would be a passion for her. 

The Restorer, Sergio Benedetti, worked in the restoration studio at the National Gallery of Ireland, in Dublin. At 45, he found himself growing discontent with his life and knew he was "destined to achieve something important, to make himself known in the art world."  To supplement his salary, he worked freelance for clients, restoring and cleaning paintings from private collections. And each Thursday, the gallery would offer free assessments of the merits of objects of art in private collections. 

Jonathan Harr has written his own masterpiece, describing in vivid detail the paintings, the libraries and household inventories, the art of restoration, and the lives of those drawn to the paintings of Caravaggio. My only complaint is that this book doesn't come with a plane ticket and itinerary to view all the paintings, nose to the canvas, just like the experts.    

Review by Sarah Bagby, October 25, 2005