Noah Charney (1) (1979–)

Stealing the Mystic Lamb details the wild history of artist Jan van Eyck’s great masterwork, the Ghent Altarpiece, which holds the record as the most stolen work of art in history. Since its completion in 1432, the work has been stolen thirteen times -- amazing in and of itself, but all the more remarkable when you consider that it weighs two tons and is the size of a barn wall. (To be fair, some of the thefts involved only a few of the painting’s 12 panels – a little more manageable show more of a caper.) Coveted by Napoleon and Hitler, cherished by the people of Belgium, and considered the bridge between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance by art historians, the Ghent Altarpiece is at the heart of one of the most improbable narratives in the annals of human creativity and conquest.

The chapters of the book take the reader through a chronology of the altarpiece, starting with an explanation of the iconography of the work, which depicts the adoration of the “Lamb of God” (a metaphor for Christ) on its interior, and the Annunciation (when Mary is told she will give birth to the Son of God) on its exterior. The altarpiece was one of the world’s first great oil paintings, a technique that allowed for stunning, near photographic realism. Some of the brushes used to create the altarpiece were so delicate they consisted of only a few hairs, enabling van Eyck to paint details down to the pores on a person’s skin and individual strands of a man’s beard. By the time I finished the chapter I was ready to book a flight to Belgium to see it for myself. (I settled for Google images.) The first chapter also gives a biography of Jan van Eyck and tells how the altarpiece came to be commissioned.

The subsequent chapters track (to paraphrase the jacket copy) the looting, burning, dismemberment, forgery, smuggling, illegal sale, censorship, theft, concealment, and ultimate rescue of the altarpiece.

Early in its history, the Ghent Altarpiece was swept into the religious tug of war between Catholics and Protestants, barely escaping destruction at the hands of Calvinists who saw it as an icon of everything that was wrong with Catholicism. Later, wars threatened the work - from the Napoleonic campaigns to two World Wars.

Author Noah Charney uses the Ghent Altarpiece as a lens to explore how art can become a religious lightening rod or a political tool, its destruction signaling the triumph of an ideology and its capture symbolizing domination by an invading power. Charney shows how art has been used to validate a rising ruler, citing both Napoleon’s creation of the Louvre (filled with loot from his tromp across Europe, including the Ghent Altarpiece) as a way to establish France’s cultural preeminence -- and Hitler’s quest to create a Super Museum in his working-class childhood home of Linz (looting the altarpiece in his turn) to prove the greatness of his vision and by extension the superiority of Aryan race.

The episode that had me most intrigued (who would think art history could have you on the edge of your seat!) was that of the mysterious, and still unidentified, thief who stole two panels of the altarpiece and then started sending bizarre notes demanding ransom. The twists and turns in this theft are too complex to relate in a review, but they involve cover ups, conspiracy theories, death bed confessions, and possibly murder. One panel is missing to this day.

Charney writes in an accessible style, but if you have an aversion to history you’ll find Stealing the Mystic Lamb slow going. I certainly recommend for anyone interested in European history and the non-aesthetic side of the visual arts. Very satisfying and very informative. show less

NOTE: I am a librarian and I received an eBook ARC copy of this book from Edelweiss+ in exchange for a review.

During my senior year of high school, I took an AP Art History course. It was a joke; the instructor treated it as a study hall and taught us nothing. I studied on my own for the end-of-the-year AP qualifying exam and passed. All of this said, how I wish I had "The 12-Hour Art Expert" in high school!! Charney makes art history come alive, and his engaging and witty writing style show more makes it feel like you are attending one of his courses in-person. There is so much here for anyone interested in art at any level to explore, and plenty of material for continuing conversations about what it means to make and enjoy art long after the book is over. I was particularly impressed with the opening chapter, which introduces and analyzes the question of "What makes art art?", as it verbalizes what I have often struggled to describe to others in my sphere of influence about why certain works of creativity (not just visual art, but music and literature, too) memorable and meaningful. Charney's work is that of an expert scholar, yet is readily accessible to all. show less

Noah Charney has the credentials to write this tale and he uses them. His extensive knowledge of the art world and of art theft is expressed in every chapter.

Three thefts: a Caravaggio and two Malevich paintings (Malevich is Charney's creation). One from a church, another from the Malevich Society, the third from a museum just hours after its purchase. The thieves are intelligent, using methods that reveal the weaknesses of the organizations' security systems. The thefts mystify the show more investigators. Why these? Why now?

Malevich painted a series of "white on white" paintings. Just what you expect: white, all white. Of course the brush strokes differ.

The Russian painter apparently painted these as a protest against icons. No icons here, no representations of anything. They were initially hung in the place where paintings of Jesus and Mary normally hung in a home. The investigators therefore suggested that the thefts might be not by an art lover (who would hire the thieves) but by a religious group, opposed to Malevich's position.

We meet these investigators, art experts, and museum heads. Each has a unique personality and specialty. The thefts are an intellectual puzzle they bite into as thoroughly as they bite into the special meals that form a rather great part of the narrative. Will they discover the complexity and intertwining of the thefts? Will they find the perp(s)?

I found it highly entertaining from a humorous point of view as well as a tome on art, art lovers, and thieves, a sendup of the art world by someone who clearly loves it.

More, the reader is the best I've heard. Simon Vance takes on the different voices of the many different international characters and made me believe. He's highly skilled and made the book even more for me than it might have been. show less

I don't believe that anyone can become an "art expert" in 12 hours or in 12 months, for that matter, so the title of this book might have put me off were it not for the name of Noah Charney, whose book on his adopted home of Slovenia charmed me after I found it in a bookstore in Ljubljana and brought it home. I hadn't realized that Charney is actually an accredited art historian. Here, his goal is to boil down everything you need most to understand art ancient and modern into something you show more can read in, yes, 12 hours. He does a great job. In fact, if I were the president and I needed a quick but thorough briefing on a country that I had barely heard of that was suddenly in the center of a diplomatic crisis, this is just the kind of presentation that I would want from an expert. It's worth reading even for those who don't aspire to understanding art in general becasue Charney provides so many examples of stunning art pieces you probably haven't heard of. (For me, it was Niccolo dell'Arca's Compianto, circa 1470, a sculpture group on view in Bologna. There are countless others.)

The chapters are not all about art history, but deal with all things art, beginning with its definition, and continuing with information about technique, conservation, forgery, psychology, the art market, and important misperceptions and misinterpretations in history. My British-made hardback edition -- I'm not sure whether there are other editions -- was printed entirely on luxurious, glossy paper of the kind that are often reserved for pictures sections tipped into a larger text. The color repreductions are excellent, although in some places the text is written in a way that hints that the author expected illustrations where there turned out not to be any. (Problems with obtaining permissions?)

Charney's personal taste is very broad and his knowledge impressive. In short, this book is great fun, a worthy reference, and one of those books I'd consider buying for my personal library even after I've read it. Embarrassing title, dumb cover, and all. show less