The Vanishing Velázquez: A 19th Century Bookseller's Obsession with a Lost Masterpiece

[The Vanishing Velazquez] by [[Laura Cumming]]

[The Vanishing Velazquez] is a tribute to the 17th century Spanish artist, Diego Velazquez. Little is known about Velazquez except that he was the primary artist at the court of Philip IV and that he is revered by other artists for his realistic portraits and incredibly minimalist brushstroke and lack of reworking.

He is also revered by the author of this book, [[Laura Cumming]]. Her exuberance for his work jumps off every page and makes for an exciting and compelling reading experience. The story she has to tell is admittedly a little thin. She focuses on a portrait of Charles I that Velazquez supposedly did when Charles visited Spain before ascending the throne. There is enough evidence show more that this portrait was completed but it is lost track of until a bookseller and art lover, John Snare finds what he believes is the lost Velazquez portrait in 1845 at an estate sale. Cumming follows this story in an effort to unravel what was really happening with the benefit of modern research. Along the way she describes as much of Velazquez's life as is known and also analyzes his most famous works of art. Her descriptions of his art and his technique are very well done and I feel I learned a lot. I'd love to see some of these in person - the colored illustrations are beautiful but it would be amazing to see these in real life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Cumming's adoration is infectious and I couldn't put the book down. show less

This was absolutely maddening for the most part. I still have no idea what portrait John Snare found and became so obsessed with, or what actually happened to it, or if it even exists in any form. There are pictures of many of the Velazquez works discussed, which is good, but because neither the original nor any reproductions of the portrait are known to exist, there is no representation of the portrait that was the entire subject of the book. This author also seems to have never met a Velazquez she didn't like. I understand having a favorite artist, and a favorite piece (Las Meninas in this case) but this went way beyond that. Not that Velazquez wasn't a great artist (and I don't think that's really in dispute), but surely he must have show more had some artistic weaknesses, or perhaps a few portraits that just didn't turn out well. It almost looks like she's got an obsession of her own, both with Velazquez in general and with Las Meninas in particular. The book wasn't even supposed to be about Las Meninas, but she kept on talking about it in almost every chapter anyway. It was to the point that I think she should have just written a book about Las Meninas instead.

Loved the account of the trial(s), though, and it was easy to get caught up in John Snare's story. show less

Beautifully written by someone familiar with the art world and Velasquez in particular. She turns a convoluted and ultimately sad story into an interesting lesson on the frailty of human judgement, the persistence of passion, and the fragility of art, as well as its power.

Author Laura Cumming combines what little is known about renowned Spanish court painter Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) with what little is known about John Snare, a nineteenth century British bookseller. Snare acquired what he believed to be a long-missing Velázquez portrait of King Charles I of England and lost everything--his family, his business, and his reputation--trying to protect it.

Cumming has done exhaustive research. She finds many ways to express her appreciation of the singularity of Velázquez's vision, his mastery of his art form, and his broad-minded view of humanity. But as a story, this book has its flaws. The narrative jumps from Velázquez to Snare and back again, giving it a disjointed quality. Because the historical show more record is incomplete, both the brilliant artist and the hapless bookseller remain mysterious figures.

Recommended primarily for readers who share the author's admiration of Velázquez and have some background in art and art history. show less

This book provides a biography of British bookseller John Snare (1808 – 1884) and a tribute to Spanish master painter Diego Velázquez (1599 – 1660). In 1846, Snare purchased an early portrait of Charles I (before he became King), paying very little for it. He believed it was a lost work by Velázquez. This artwork became an obsession throughout Snare’s lifetime. In attempting to prove it was a Velázquez, he displayed it, engaged in a legal battle for it, and suffered financial and domestic misfortune over it. This book documents his many tribulations that were at least in part caused by his passion for this painting. Along the way, the author offers details about the life and artistic vision of Diego Velázquez.

The author is show more obviously a huge fan of Velázquez. Her praise for the artist occasionally overshadows the story of the bookseller. Few details are available about the ultimate disposition of the painting, which leaves the ending a bit unsatisfying. I enjoyed learning about John Snare, a relatively unknown person of history and the artwork of Diego Velázquez. I think it requires an interest in art or art history to fully appreciate it. The writing is not quite as accomplished as I was expecting but I am glad I read it.

3.5 show less

This was absolutely maddening for the most part. I still have no idea what portrait John Snare found and became so obsessed with, or what actually happened to it, or if it even exists in any form. There are pictures of many of the Velazquez works discussed, which is good, but because neither the original nor any reproductions of the portrait are known to exist, there is no representation of the portrait that was the entire subject of the book. This author also seems to have never met a Velazquez she didn't like. I understand having a favorite artist, and a favorite piece (Las Meninas in this case) but this went way beyond that. Not that Velazquez wasn't a great artist (and I don't think that's really in dispute), but surely he must have show more had some artistic weaknesses, or perhaps a few portraits that just didn't turn out well. It almost looks like she's got an obsession of her own, both with Velazquez in general and with Las Meninas in particular. The book wasn't even supposed to be about Las Meninas, but she kept on talking about it in almost every chapter anyway. It was to the point that I think she should have just written a book about Las Meninas instead.

Loved the account of the trial(s), though, and it was easy to get caught up in John Snare's story. show less

In 1845, John Snare, owner of a bookshop in Reading, England, came across a painting offered at an estate sale auction that he believed to be a portrait of Charles I painted by Velazquez in 1623 when Charles I had traveled to Spain as a young man. Velazquez had been the official court painter for the Spanish royal family in the 17th century, and was, at the time Snare came across the painting, just becoming well-known in the rest of Europe. Snare ended up sacrificing everything--his family and livelihood included--for the sake of "his Velazquez."

This was a fascinating combination of art history and criticism with the solving of a mystery, both by Snare, and in the present day. I learned a lot about Velazquez and his world, and also a show more lot about the world of Victorian England--a time when art was normally only for the very wealthy and many of the great museums we can visit today to see great art were nonexistent.

There was an interesting story about how van Eyck's Marriage of Arnolfini came to reside in the National Gallery in London. It is one of my favorite paintings, and the first to introduce me to art. I first saw it in London when I was 17, and was mesmerized. I was lucky enough to visit it again on my trip in April). It had been residing in Spain, and was looted by Napoleon's armies. As they were fleeing Spain, the French army ran into Wellington, and abandoned some of what was considered "lesser" art on the battlefield. Wellington rescued The Marriage of Arnolfini and took it back to England. Later, the British offered to return the painting to Spain, but Spain declined.

I enjoyed this book.

3 stars show less