Book Review: The Lost Van Gogh: A Novel by Jonathan Santlofer

Following the events of The Last Mona Lisa, artist and professor Luke Perrone has settled back down in New York City with his beloved girlfriend, art historian Alex Verde. It’s not unusual for Alex to bring back artwork she finds while on one of her frequent visits to her mother upstate, but when the couple discovers another painting hidden beneath the facade of one she’s recently purchased, the last thing either of them expects is for their worlds to be turned entirely upside down.

For the hidden painting is, if their own combined expertise isn’t mistaken, a missing self-portrait of Vincent Van Gogh himself. They keep their attempts to authenticate the piece under wraps, but a criminal element has long been on the painting’s trail, and snatches it out from underneath them. In an effort to get the painting back, they somewhat reluctantly decide to consult with John Washington Smith, a former INTERPOL agent turned private detective whom Perrone has previously butted heads with. Smith is just as excited to see Perrone:

“You become an agent since we last met, Perrone, or just showing off for your girlfriend?”

 

Maybe I was showing off a little. “I was just curious if you had FBI connections,” I said.

 

“Yeah, but I don’t need them. The Bureau’s integrated automated fingerprint ID system is accessible if you have permission or a license or the right digital program.”

 

“Which you have?”

 

“I’ve retained some of my INTERPOL databases, connections too. That okay with you, Perrone?”

 

“Okay with me if it’s okay with the FBI and INTERPOL.”

 

Smith lifted his shades again to give me an intimidating stare. I gave him one back. We’d fallen into our sparring ways. Everything he said annoyed me, and I guessed he felt the same way about me.

Regardless of any macho posturing, Smith is actually eager to take the case, and not just because of how well he and Perrone always end up working together. Smith isn’t exactly the private detective he’s been advertising himself as but is pursuing greater aims. As the trail of the potentially missing Van Gogh gets hotter though, he’ll find himself needing to tell bigger and bigger lies to Alex and Perrone, even as the trio are inevitably drawn together over and over again in their pursuit of the painting.

A globe-trotting, art crime thriller with plenty of twists and multiple viewpoint narratives, The Lost Van Gogh feels cinematic in its scope as our three main protagonists work to get to the truth of the stolen painting. This novel is rich with the history of stolen art – particularly the works taken from their Jewish owners under duress by the Nazis and their collaborators – as well as information on the state of modern art commerce and theft. Betrayals and reversals stud the pages, but perhaps the most fascinating mysteries Jonathan Santlofer tackles in this book are those to do with the title artist himself. Santlofer has a gift for making readers feel the full weight of history with his prose as he details Alex’s visit to the home where Van Gogh worked and died:

Alex stepped into a rose-colored room with dark wooden moldings, everything bathed in the soft glow of light through lace-curtained windows, hardwood tables and caned chairs, a large, faded mural.

“All of it has been restored to how it was in Vincent’s time,” the guide said, pointing out a small wooden table in the corner where Vincent had taken his meals, the only table set with a tablecloth, a wineglass and carafe, an empty wicker basket. A still life without the man, Alex thought, though his presence was so palpable she shivered.

 

“The table is always set,” the guide said. “But no one is allowed to eat there.”

Infused with both mood and the adrenaline of international heist thrills, this novel is a brisk and often fun exploration of the art world. It touches thoughtfully, too, on the ramifications of not only theft, whether individual or institutional, but also repatriation. It wouldn’t hurt to check out The Last Mona Lisa first to understand the bigger implications of some of the appearances in this book, but this novel functions just fine as a standalone, especially for anyone interested in art in general and Van Gogh in particular.