We have just returned from Amsterdam and are planning a trip to Vienna. Many other excursions followed, often with my mother and friends. When I was 12, we went in search of the Piero della Francesca paintings scattered around Italy. The National Gallery in London became a weekend haunt, as did the Wallace Collection, and there were visits to Waddesdon Manor and other National Trust houses - all viewed at breakneck speed (Jacob doesn’t do anything slowly). My father Jacob can’t build a car out of Lego and has little enthusiasm for board games, but he does have an infectious, passionate interest in paintings and was pleased to find a willing disciple.Īs a child, the thrill was being with him loving the paintings came later. Some parents take their children fishing or to football matches mine chose museums and art galleries. (Nov.For writer and documentary maker Hannah Rothschild, soon to be chair of the National Gallery’s board of trustees, the works of art that resonate are those with stories to tell The book is at its best when delving into the lives of the many people affected by the Watteau.
Additionally, Rothschild packs the narrative with vivid details, especially about art and food. Despite some plot holes, it’s rewarding to see Rebecca viciously come into her own once she divulges Memling’s dark secret.
The weakest part of Rothschild’s plot involves would-be love interest Jesse, an innocuous painter/museum guide who is head over heels for Annie and pursues her despite her aloof lack of interest. Once Rebecca links Annie with the painting, she suspects her of being a spy. Coincidentally, Rebecca has been tasked by her father, Memling, to find this very same artwork for devious reasons that he doesn’t share. Annie finds work as a chef for Rebecca Winkleman, the daughter of a prominent art dealer, and yet Annie never shows them the painting, despite talking to other experts. Having been owned by royalty, the Watteau is initially dismayed by Annie’s lack of funds and poor fashion sense. Rothschild gives the title painting its own point-of-view chapters, admirably managing not to get too cutesy. Her attempts to begin a new life are complicated by a junk-shop painting that, unbeknownst to her, is an 18th-century masterpiece by Antoine Watteau. Rothschild’s clever follow-up to The Baroness follows brokenhearted Londoner Annie McDee.
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