The Muralist
A Novel
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From the author of the New York Times bestseller The Art Forger comes a thrilling new novel of art, history, love and politics that traces the life and mysterious disappearance of a brilliant young artist on the eve of World War II—perfect for readers of The Paris Wife, The White Russian and All the Light We Cannot See
In 1940, American painter Alizee Benoit vanishes in New York City amid personal and political turmoil. No one knows what happened to her. Not her Jewish family living in German-occupied France. Not her artistic patron and political compatriot, Eleanor Roosevelt. Not her close-knit group of friends, including Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner. And, some seventy years later, not her great-niece, Danielle Abrams, who while working at Christie’s auction house uncovers enigmatic paintings hidden behind recently found works by those now-famous Abstract Expressionist artists. Do they hold answers to the questions surrounding her missing aunt?
Entwining the lives of both historical and fictional characters, and moving between the past and the present, The Muralist plunges readers into the divisiveness of prewar politics and the largely forgotten plight of European refugees refused entrance to the United States. It captures both the inner workings of today’s art world and the beginnings of the vibrant school of Abstract Expressionism, bringing to life two unforgettable women and forcing us to ask timeless, provocative questions: What happens when luminous talent collides with inexorable historical forces? Does great art have the power to change the world? And to what lengths should a person go to thwart evil?
“B.A. Shapiro once again pens the art world into vivid, sensual life. . . . An intriguing story masterfully imagined about art, war, family, truth, and freedom.” —Lisa Genova, New York Times–bestselling author of Love, Anthony
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
After the success of The Art Forger, Shapiro returns to the art world, this time focusing on the budding Abstract Expressionist movement, whose major players, Mark Rothko, Lee Krasner, and Jackson Pollack, interact with the fictional Aliz e Benoit until her mysterious disappearance in 1940. Danielle Abrams, a cataloguer at Christie's in the present who is haunted by her great aunt Aliz e, comes across some canvases that may have been painted by her enigmatic relative. The novel goes back and forth in time, and pre World War II America comes to life in the flashbacks. Aliz e and her colleagues are hired by the WPA to paint public works, but she is plagued by Hitler's frightening actions against the Jews in Europe, where members of her family are trying to escape. Passionate about her work and finding new ways to express herself, she is caught up in the horrors overseas and the obstacles put up by America to keep out refugees exemplified by the evil machinations of Assistant Secretary of State Breckinridge Long. Though compelling, Shapiro's latest is bogged down in relaying well-researched material about the pre-WWII politics and developments in the art world, ultimately undermining the power of the fictional story. Additionally, Aliz e is a formidable character, but her modern-day counterpart, Danielle, lacks depth, diminishing the d nouement when she finally learns the truth about her great aunt.
