HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Can you draw? Insert howling laughter. A picture with words? I can try. But give me a paintbrush or a set of colored pencils, and I’m gonna…politely give them back.
But can art lead to murder? We certainly know it can! And let’s welcome our dear pal Jeannette DeBeauvoir to take us on a creative journey–with a question at the end!
When you live (and write!) in an art colony
By Jeanette DeBeauvoir
I’ll begin with a confession: I am not a visual artist. No, hang on, I lie—I can draw a duck. It’s a very fine duck, mind you, but it’s still… just a duck.
Not very impressive anywhere, and especially not here. I live in Provincetown, Massachusetts, on the very tip of Cape Cod, what some call land’s end—well, you can see why: look out to sea and the next bit of continent you’ll encounter is Portugal. And this kind of isolation attracts a certain type of person, people who might not fit in any other place.
Among those misfits are artists. As I said, I’m not one of them, so I don’t fully understand what goes into what they speak rapturously and reverently of as “The Light” or “The Provincetown Light.” It is some shimmering combination of sky and clouds and sea and spindrift and makes a certain magic they try to replicate—or at least reflect—on canvas. And they’ve been doing that since Charles Webster Hawthorne opened the Cape Cod School of Art in the summer of 1899, making Ptown today the oldest continuously operating art colony in North America. By 1915 as many as 90 students were learning his style of impressionist painting en plein air.
Eight books in, working on my Sydney Riley Provincetown mystery series, I finally smacked my palm against my forehead and exclaimed, “I live in an art colony!” (It only took me 15 years to come to that conclusion.) With all the other local history, themes, and celebrations previous books in the series highlighted, I’d in fact never talked much about art.
So I took care of that, and the result is The Fine Art of Deception, out this week. An art colony can provide an excellent backdrop for all sorts of fraud and forgeries, which can in turn lead to murder, every mystery novelist’s delight.
What if, I wondered, a Charles Hawthorne wasn’t actually… a Charles Hawthorne?
If you’ve ever been down an Internet rabbit hole, then you’ll understand what happened to me as I started doing research into art fraud. The field is rich. (And shocking—a decent percentage of the great paintings we revere in museums and collections are counterfeit! There is no telling how many fakes still lie in plain sight, accepted as originals by experts and the public alike.) I read about the Knoedler Gallery in New York City; Sotheby’s refunding of money for a fake Old Master and later a Picasso in London; the Baroque and Renaissance forgeries of Eric Hebborn in Italy… the list goes on and on.
And that doesn’t even include art theft. I’m in Massachusetts, so it’s natural for me to include everyone’s favorite, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum heist—especially since one of the former suspects lived on Cape Cod!
It was interesting to notice how this research has changed the way I look at paintings now. Provincetown has a Friday-evening tradition called the Gallery Stroll. Galleries—and there are hundreds of them in this tiny space—time their opening receptions for Friday nights, and even where there isn’t a specific opening, wine and cheese are on hand everywhere to lure people in. I often do at least part of the Stroll, and it’s always pleasant, seeing new things, running into people I know… all very civilized.
But now I find I’m not there just for the social part: I’ve discovered I’m really interested in paintings, in technique, in results. I’m looking at art differently. I didn’t go quite full rabbit-hole, of course; I don’t look at paintings now with all the investigative and forensic considerations in mind, though they’re obviously important. But I went far enough in to have gained what I think of as Art Fraud Appreciation 101. I look at a piece now and wonder, if I were to do a fake by this artist, where would I start? What would be the most important component to capture? What is this artist’s “voice”?
It may be going at things sideways, but I’ve found that thinking about forgeries and fakes has increased my own appreciation of the “real” paintings I see. In a sense, looking for the places where fraud could occur underlines how significant those places are, and how details count. How Artist A uses our famous light, as opposed to how Artist B does it. Where they choose to sign their work, and why they made that choice. What kinds of brushstrokes do they use? How do I imagine they felt, working on this piece?
I’m thinking a lot more about the art I see, and that is the greatest gift this book could have given me. I hope you’ll read it—and have the same experience!
HANK: This is fascinating! And you know how instantly recognizable our favorite artists are, right?
Who are your favorites, and why? And hey, Reds and readers...can you draw? We know our Rhys is incredibly talented--how about the rest of you?
Jeannette de Beauvoir is a bestselling author of historical, mystery, and literary fiction (and an occasional poet!) whose Sydney Riley series is now on its ninth book. Her work has appeared in a number of literary journals and anthologies, and she is a member of the Authors Guild, the Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the National Writers Union. Her novels are firmly rooted in a sense of place, whether a mystery series set in Montréal or historical fiction set in medieval France; she herself lives and writes from a small cottage by the seaside.
More at jeannettedebeauvoir.com, where you can read her blog, hear her podcast, and sign up for her invariably interesting newsletter!
The Fine Art of Deception
Trouble is in the wind for wedding planner and amateur sleuth Sydney Riley
Her boss Glenn has grown secretive; her best friend Mirela is hiding something, and Sydney’s daily routine at the Race Point Inn has grown stale. Sydney’s boyfriend, Ali, is in town as part of an investigation whose details he’s hesitant to share, and living together in her tiny apartment has become a challenge, to say the least. Any charm she’d found in her hand-to-mouth existence has disappeared.Something has to give—and it does: A visit from Sydney’s father turns treacherous when the investigation of a hit-and-run death leads her to the intimidating and subterranean world of high-priced art. Then Glenn vanishes as a dangerous storm races up the coast, and Sydney comes face-to-face with deception—both on canvas and in real life.Jeannette de Beauvoir’s flare for drama, detail, and suspense brings the art world to life in this ninth book in the Provincetown mystery series.
Congratulations on your newest book, Jeannette . . . . all of this is quite fascinating and now I’m intrigued by the “light” and looking forward to reading Sydney’s latest adventure.
ReplyDelete.
I don’t know that I have a “favorite,” but I do like paintings by Van Gogh and Monet . . . .
Thank you, Joan. It's true that we often see what we're looking for, and perhaps I don't know what to look for when I'm looking at a sunrise or sunset around here... the ability to translate that onto canvas is, to me, total alchemy!
DeleteCongrats on the new book!
ReplyDeleteI can't draw. I have a few attempts that aren't bad, but it takes a lot more patience than I have to do that.
I can teach you how to draw my duck.
DeleteCongrats on your new book!! I can draw stick figures. Never got past that stage. My granddaughters laugh at me too. I do like to color, mostly exotic cats.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much. I'm totally heartened by the number of people telling me they can't draw. When one lives surrounded by artists, one starts to feel a little.... behind the curve!
DeleteThe Cape is such a special place, Jeannette, and how lucky you are to live in Ptown! I wonder if your new eye to seeing art is like how being a writer has affected how one reads - I think we spot things, good and bad, that non-writer readers might not.
ReplyDeleteMe, draw? I could draw beautiful horses when I was a girl. Now I have a knack for drawing expressive stick figures, and I'm happy to stick with that as one of my superpowers.
Edith, that's a really interesting parallel. The novel deals in large part in art fraud, and now I'm also looking at art and wondering what the "giveaways" are, the signs that something may be a copy... I'm certainly treating paintings quite differently from what I've done in the past. I think what you're saying is a large part of it. (And I love the concept of "expressive stick figures"!
DeleteEdith, this is so interesting, and it always makes me wonder about the connection between early drawings (me included) and horses. When I was about age 9 or so, all my girlfriends and I were crazy about horses and we loved to draw them sitting around the kitchen table. Most of them were good (at least recognizable!) But, none of us were very good at drawing people other than as you say ones that were rather stick-figurery.
DeleteWhen my daughters and I visitied Lascaux in France - the prehistoric caves which contain early drawings of ... beautifully realistic horses but very, very stick figures of people, it makes me wonder about this connection.
JEANNETTE: Congratulations on your new book! Nope, I can't draw at all. But I do appreciate art and visit all kinds of galleries and museums when I travel.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Grace! I'd love to hear where you've traveled and what artists' work you've seen. That's my next step ... leave the specific art scene here and enjoy some others!
DeleteHello fellow P’town author!! I enjoy this series so much and love Sydney’s running commentaries. Provincetown is changing rapidly with remote worker and retirees coming to live here, how do you see that affecting Sydney’s circumstances? I suspect she has few choice thoughts.
ReplyDeleteOops, sorry, Anonymous, I replied below!
DeleteAnd of course I just realized who you are: A.C. Burch, who *also* has a wonderful Provincetown novel that was just published, called The Distance Between Us. I recommend it heartily! Thanks for stopping by and remembering Sydney's, um, traits!
DeleteYou're right in that the "artist" flavor of day-to-day life is getting somewhat diluted by the recent influx of non-artists (though many, I suspect, are patrons of the arts and become good customers, something every artist—and writer!—needs). In this particular novel, Sydney has slightly changed career paths, and I think that is going to enable her to move even more freely through the various layers of Ptown society. You obviously know her well, and yes, the nouveaux venus will not be spared her sarcastic observations in future stories!
ReplyDeleteI’m struggling with Google authentication so a very good guess. No intent to post anonymously. I’m delighted to hear that Sydney’s commentaries will continue. I love her smart and sassy viewpoint!!
DeleteCongratulations! P-town sounds like a marvelous place and the books sound great!
ReplyDeleteI do love to wander in art galleries and am drawn (ha) to the impressionists. The movie Loving Vincent was a 10. I can't draw, though, like Edith, I drew horses as a girl. However sometimes being unable to draw can be a positive. In my family, we play a game that we call The Circle Game (I don't know if it has a name) We sit in a circle in the living room or around the dining room table. Each person writes a sentence at the top of a blank piece of paper and passes the paper to the next person. That person draws a picture of the sentence, and folds the paper so the only part visible is the drawing. The paper gets passed to the third person who writes a sentence based on the picture. The paper is folded again so the next person only sees the 2nd sentence. When the papers have gone all the way around (you need 9 or 10 people for this game), the game is over. When we look at the series of sentences and drawings, hilarity ensues--in part because we are bad at drawing and you can't tell if something is a pig or an alien. Sometimes we are laughing so hard that we can't explain what our original sentence was.
Gillian, what a WONDERFUL game! Wish I'd known about it when my stepchildren were still at home! Ptown is indeed a marvelous place in many ways... I've tried to leave twice and both times the town didn't let me go, go I guess I'm meant to be here! Please do visit if you can... or read any of the books in the series to get (I believe) a real sense of what it's like here.
DeleteMust catch up on this series!
ReplyDeleteIn younger years I drew and painted watercolors. Alas, my talent deserted me. I do love to watch other's paint. It amazes me to see what emerges from their brushstrokes. Favorite artists? Impressionists, I think.
Hi, Kait, I'd love for you to catch up with the series! I think Sydney, in addition to solving crimes, gives visitors a good sense of Provincetown. One of the things I love in the summertime is the number of people here doing plein air painting... by the beach, on the streets, everywhere. So watching others paint can be a full occupation on its own!
DeleteJeannette, what a funny picture of you realizing you live in an artist's colony! Love the Friday Stroll idea, too. We have a couple wonderful artists' enclaves of studios here in Cincinnati that open to the public, one on "Final Fridays", and the other a few more random times a year. It's also a big social event.
ReplyDeleteI can draw certain things, and I want to learn to paint. I did paint flowers all over my Little Free Library, and an old mailbox I use in my garden to hold tools and gloves. They were fun projects, but no one is going to auction them off for top dollar.
Art forgeries fascinate me, especially from the standpoint of outrage that they aren't the originals. If no one can tell the difference, why doesn't the artist of the forgery get credit for an also immense talent? It's not quite the same as merely retyping an author's work, there has to be actual skill, especially in the case of the forger who can fluidly switch from one artist's style to another, and not be detected as a fraud. Not that I'm sanctioning such a thing, but paying hundreds of millions for an original and then not recognizing the copy as equally talented strikes me as unfair. The price of some art is outrageous. I can easily see why a frustrated painter would try to game the system.
What's further fascinating to me is that since I wrote this book there's been an explosion of articles and new about art frauds. This year's Provincetown International Film Festival is showcasing a film called Art Thief, and at least two articles in the last three weeks, one from the States and one from Canada are revealing frauds. I too think there's ab absolute art to being able to copy another's style. I'm starting to wonder, also, what efect AI will have on art fraud.
DeleteHi Karen in Cincinnati. I am Colin in grew up in Cincinnati in the 70s, 80s, and 90s; now I live in Provincetown by way of Boston. I will go out on a limb with a comparison. The weekly Friday night art stroll in Provincetown is similar in feel to Cincinnati's Hyde Park Art Show; here in Provincetown, the galleries are located in sea-side, shingled 19th Century structures.
DeleteAs for art forgeries, you do bring up a good counter-argument, that creating a convincing forgery is its own display of artistic mastery. The billionaires and museum world gets upset with forgeries because it's a violation of the implicit "Art as an Economic Commodity" principle - i.e. assign a dollar value to the worth of the piece, factoring in demand, rarity + insurance. You are looking at forgeries as artistic masterpieces on their own, such as the many artist who go to museums in NY, London, and Paris everyday to make copies/sketches/studies of a masterpiece.
Yes, you can see artists copying paintings everywhere! Nice to meet you, Colin. I haven't been to the Hyde Park Art Show since before the pandemic. Maybe this year.
DeleteJeannette, that's also an interesting premise. AI has enormous potential for harm.
From Celia: I’ve never managed to get to the tip of the Cape and still hope so to do. Your new book sounds so intriguing. But draw or paint? No, not me, despite - does anyone say maiden name nowadays? - being born Celia Constable and English. No painting skills, no drawing, even coloring books are a challenge. in fact barely even stick figures. But I love looking and looking beyond the paint.
ReplyDeleteIt's odd, isn't it. So many people say, "oh, my goodness, I could never write," and yet to me writing is like breathing. I wonder if for artists, painting is like breathing. My protagonist, Sydney, has a close friend, a Bulgarian called Mirela, who is a talented painter. She didn't even start until she was in her twenties. One wonders what was brewing inside her all those years....
DeleteAs I said, zero skill as an artist! I’m appreciative, inquisitive, and love to go to museums and art galleries, but as for doing it myself? I stand in awe of all who can. Headed for the airport… More to come, cannot wait to read all of your comments! Xxxxxx
ReplyDeleteHi Jeanetter, I am fascinated in your book and can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteYou might be interested in reading "Con-Artist: The Life & Times of the World's Greatest Art Foger," by Tony Tetro forged works by old and contemporary masters in every genre. Tetro’s works were regularly passed off as legitimate works in museums, galleries, and auction houses around the world. Los Angeles District Attorney Ira Reiner called Tony, “the single largest forger of art works in America.”
In 2019, Tony's works, bought by an art dealer (who knew they were fake) and loaned them to (then) Prince Charles / Dumfries House for the British Royal Collection and into the British Royal Collection.
Jeannette, Sorry for the misspelling of your name.
DeleteNo worries about the name, and I have indeed read his book! I instance many of the "great" art forgers and fraudsters in the book... Perhaps the most dramatic is the story of Han van Meegeren, who sold forgeries to the Nazis and then after the war was accused of collaboration... I won't ruin the story for you: do go look it up, though!
DeleteCount me in the 'can draw a stick figure' camp, Jeannette. Collage is my art form; I have a good eye for composition and enjoy creating visual stories that way. When I was in Paris at the start of my gap year (in 1977!), I spent countless happy hours wandering through museums and art galleries, with the Jeu de Paume's Impressionist collection being my favourite gallery to lose myself in. Congrats on your latest book!
ReplyDeleteAh, the Jeu de Paume! So outstanding... and read/watch Monuments Men to hear of the role one woman there played in retrieving looted art works. Still gives me shivers. I too am very partial to the Impressionist school. And museums are definitely our friends. I love that in England they are mostly free to the public. We need to be exposed to beauty, even when we find that beauty challenging.
DeleteI had some artistic talent in elementary school but unfortunately it didn't grow up with me. Both my mom and her sister could paint landscapes until their tremors got too bad. As for art, I love the Impressionists. Their use of color and their different brush techniques. Envy! Your latest book sounds fabulous!
ReplyDeleteMaybe we grow out of things because they don't fit in with who we are at different points in our lives... children are fearless and will try anything and don't care. We get more and more fearful as we age, of so many things... Hope you'll read the book! Thanks for sharing.
DeleteLooking forward to reading your books, Jeannette! I love reading anything that takes place on Cape Cod, especially Provincetown. That all started with Asey mayo books. I've only been to the Cape twice and must say I was disappointed that it no longer looked anything like what was described in those books. But time goes on and things change.
ReplyDeleteJudi, believe me when I say that many of us are a little disappointed at the changes taking place here (as, I suspect, everywhere, but they're notable I think in tourist destinations)! I think probably the moment a book is published it starts to no longer portray the place as it is.... change is that dynamic. But there are still many wonderful aspects of being here, whether as a resident or visitor. I can take my coffee down to the beach every morning and start my days with sand and water and sky. I can watch whales' blow from 15 minutes' drive away from my home. That helps me overcome my feelings about gentrification and higher prices! I do hope you'll read the series. I think it can bring you into the world of Ptown as it is... now.
DeleteJeannette, I seem to have missed this series--it has all the elements I look for in a series. And this latest one--hits my sweet spot! One of my favorite movies is HOW TO STEAL A MILLION, directed by William Wyler and starring Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole. In the movie, Audrey's father is an art forger. And Charlotte MacLeod's series with Sarah Kelling and Max Bittersohn includes an art forger. As for drawing, I do jellybean characters for the little ones in my life--sort of like Edith's 'expressive stick figures' only with elongated bodies and stick arms and legs. Can't wait to 'meet' Sydney!
ReplyDeleteOh, Flora, I'm so glad you're interested... I think you might have a treat waiting for you with the series. Every book highlights a different aspect of life here... Carnival, the Portuguese Festival. Fantasia Fair... I try to bring them all to life (whilst, of course, committing a homicide or three...!). Art forgers are definitely interesting people!
DeleteAnd I am CRINGING at realizing that promo materials include a misspelling in the book description! It's taken me this long to notice! (And I do editing, shame on me!) Please substitute "flair" for "flare" in the book description, and ignore me as I slink silently away......
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the new book Jeannette.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say I have a favorite artist or that I would easily recognize someone's art if I just happened to come across a sample. Usually an artist I like would be because they drew a comic book I liked or something like that. Jim Starlin comes to mind on that front.
And I like a lot of album cover art but don't usually find out who the artist is unless I need to know it for some reason.
But those big "hang in museum and sell for millions type of artists" have never really been much of a draw for me sad to say.
As for whether or not I can draw, the answer is no. Even my stick figures look bad...and threaten me with lawsuits if I keep trying to draw them.
Ha! My duck hasn't threatened me yet, but never say never. Thanks for your good wishes, Jay. This book was slightly riskier than the rest of the series in a couple of ways, and I'm looking forward to hearing what people think of it.
Deletethis sounds terrific Jeannette! I love your description of your research. We live in Key West for half the year, which I think is the mirror image of Ptown. I love your town and now yearn to return!
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll come visit soon, Lucy! I will say that there's truly something for everyone here. And I often think that doing the research for a novel is just as exciting—maybe sometimes more so—as doing the actual writing. I love these rabbit holes!
DeleteHANK: Your comment about your drawing reminded me of a headline I saw the other day about drawing. I did not get a chance to read the article, though.
ReplyDeleteThe headline said something like "Even bad art is good for the brain" and I thought about that headline. Darn it! I am guessing that drawing gives a part of your brain some kind of a workout?
My maternal grandfather was an excellent artist. He often drew in his diaries when he was stationed in Britain during the First World War. His eldest, my Aunt, was an artist too. Both of her daughters, my cousins, inherited the drawing gene. My Mom doodles. I do not think I can draw, though I often draw for fun and they look more like a child's drawing.
Once when I was at the Charles Schulz Museum, I sat in a cartoon workshop and I tried drawing Charlie Brown and Snoopy. Someone told me that drawing takes practice. That made sense to me because I remember learning how to write. At first, my letters were wobbly and now I get compliments for my beautiful handwriting.
Thank you for introducing us to Jeannette!
JEANNETTE, welcome to JRW! And congratulations on your novel! Your story sounds fascinating! About art fraud, I often see this in other mystery novels. I love how you learned that you live in an artist's colony. That reminds me of how I just realized that I live in an area with many authors (Gigi Pandian, Rhys Bowen, Jacqueline Winspear, Isabel Allende, Ayelet Waldman, Michael Chabon, Michael Lewis, Darryl Brock, Rachel Zemach, Penny Warner, Wendy Lichtman, among many many more)
Hope to see your novel at my local library. I look forward to reading your novel.
Diana
Diana, I'd be honored for you to read the book. And I actually agree—art is good for you, and whether it's "good" art or "bad" art is wholly subjective... and when we see it, we have responses. One way or another, it touches our souls. I just finished recording a podcast on A Philosophy of Writing, and I think what I talked about applies to visual art as well—it doesn't just reflect the world, it has the potential to change it. To me, that's everything.
DeleteWelcome, Jeannette! What a fascinating topic for a mystery. Art has always been a huge part of my life - all vacations included museums, etc. My parents and grandparents were all artists or musicians. When I pivoted to writing, well, let's just say they would probably have preferred I stay the course in visual arts (I was an art major for a while) but they were polite enough not to say anything...lol.
ReplyDeleteWell, you know, you can always *write* about art! I have actually always been rather disappointed that I wasn't talented in that way—my great-aunt was Edna Lawrence, who worked and taught at RISD for decades (they've named a nature lab there for her), and I thought, could it be in the blood? Unfortunately, the answer in my case is a resounding no. Though I do have that duck....
DeleteThis sounds like a delightful series, and I'll be adding it to my TBR list. I've never been able to draw well, but find that even my feeble attempts are helpful as part of my recovery from a TBI. My introduction to the world of art fraud was through the excellent books by Daniel Silva and his art restorer/Israeli intelligence agent, Gabriel Allon. I was stunned to learn how widespread forgeries are, what big business they are. And I'd love to meet your duck and learn to draw her! ~Lynda
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lynda! i too enjoy Daniel Silva's novels—very exciting! And absolutely, I knew there were some forgeries/frauds out there, butI too had no idea how incredibly widespread they are. Most experts say well over 20% of what you see in museums and collections are probably not by the artist whose name is on the canvas. Amazing! (Which to the point of an earlier commentator, doesn't to my mind make them any inferior. Just different.)
DeleteTell us more about what unexpected inspirations crept into this art-inspired novel? Are there any “Easter eggs” readers should be alert for?
ReplyDeleteAh, this is someone who knows me well! I do often put an Easter Egg into my novels, usually around naming (like Sydney Riley, for example), but not this one. I chose the name Milo simply because I've always wanted to name someone Milo! As for unexpected inspirations, the whole art fraud/art forgery world was a tremendous inspiration in and of itself. I probably could write about five more novels about it. What's been unexpected is seeing art heists and frauds all over the place in real time... like Arthur Egeli's new film The Art Thief, and a tremendous Canadian fraud revealed only a few weeks ago. Lots more to do with all this!
DeleteA big THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to chat with me! If you happen to be on-Cape, we're throwing a LAUNCH PARTY for The Deadly Art of Deception this Saturday at 2pm, either live at the Provincetown Library, or here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83237249564
ReplyDeletePlease consider joining us!
Jeannette, I’m so looking forward to the next book in your Sidney Riley PTown Series! I love these books full of mystery fun and adventure. Capturing beautiful Provincetown and all it wonders, fun & adventures.
ReplyDeleteI love Art but cannot paint or draw. I love gallery walks and visiting various Art galleries. My favourites are Renoir and Van Gogh. I certainly enjoy many forms of art and music alike!
Please keep writing and adding to this great series.