The Vanishing Velázquez

A 19th Century Bookseller's Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece

By: Laura Cumming

Narrated by: Siobhan Redmond

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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).

Grrat book

Awesome. Rich in historical detail. Thrilling and intriguing from beginning to end. Can't wait to read other works from this author.

Wow! So glad I listened to this!

Great story, Very intriguing on so many levels. I picked this up because I’m traveling to Spain and I wanted to learn about Spanish art. I learned about so much more. Great reader too.

Interesting but not very straightforward

I was intrigued by the description of this book, and was caught off guard when, within the first couple of hours, it seemed the Velasquez had been found and proven! I thought to myself, "what is she going to talk about for another 6 hours?" Of course, to my delight it turned out to be more complicated than just that, but I still ended up finishing this book feeling a little confused.

While the author explains in great detail the life and struggles of John Snair, she also goes on long tangents describing and interpreting other works, not just by Velasquez, but other painters. It is somewhat relevant to be story in the sense of understanding what made this painting appear to be a Velasquez, and what made it stand out from other works, but I often found myself not remembering what was going on in John Snair's story by the time she was done with her romanticisms, and by the end of the book I realized I have no idea what actually ended up happening with the painting (though there was an exciting story about Las Meninas being saved from a fire towards the end).

So I'm ultimately a little disappointed, as I don't really think I want to listen to the last 4 hours over again to figure out what I feel should have been a little more central and obvious. Still, lots of interesting facts, especially if you've taken some art history classes in your lifetime.

Art history buff

I liked the premise. Being visual - it was hard to follow but I enjoyed the story and it gave me lots of insight into the importance of provenance- I think I might buy the book and read it .

Amazing book, excellent performance

For any art fan, this is a must. Excellently researched and very entertaining. Voice performance is wonderful and adds to the experience.