Masterpiece - Hardcover

Imagine the excitement in the art world when an old British noble is about to auction off the family's famed Velasquez, a portrait of the artist's naked mistress. Private collectors and museums vie to own it, with Washington's National Gallery and New York's Metropolitan emerging as the strongest contenders. That the two principals are vying for the Met's top job and also happen to become lovers are titillating complications. Hoving, former Met director and current editor of Connoisseur ,pulls together politics, crime, and commerce as the greed of profiteers and the lust of collectors ripen into artful scams. On occasion, imagination outstrips technique. The main characters hover at the edge of credibility. The heroine, like Wonder Woman, whips into a new persona. A courtly dwarf uses electronic powers to pry out every secret. The hero is fabulously wealthy, capable, romantic, and also an undercover agent. But these are forgivable flaws in this lavish and exuberant romp through the gilt-edged world of patrons and proteges. Barbara Conaty, Medical Coll. of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.