The Eye
- Author Philippe Costamagna
- Narrator Robertson Dean
- Publisher Blackstone Publishing
- Publish Date 5 February 2019
- Run Time 7 hours and 1 minute
- Format Audio
- Genre Biography: general, Ethnic studies, History of art, Memoirs.
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What to expect
It’s a rare and secret profession, comprising a few dozen people around the world equipped with a mysterious mixture of knowledge and innate sensibility. Summoned to Swiss bank vaults, Fifth Avenue apartments, and Tokyo storerooms, they are entrusted by collectors, dealers, and museums to decide if a coveted picture is real or fake and to determine if it was painted by Leonardo da Vinci or Raphael. The Eye lifts the veil on the rarified world of connoisseurs devoted to the authentication and discovery of Old Master artworks.
This is an art adventure story and a memoir all in one, written by a leading expert on the Renaissance whose métier is a high-stakes detective game involving massive amounts of money and frenetic activity in the service of the art market and scholarship alike. It’s also an eloquent argument for the enduring value of visual creativity, told with passion, brilliance, and surprising candor.
Critics Review
“Exhilarating and informative…Mr. Costamagna is catholic in his enthusiasm and is open to the new. He tells delicious stories.”
“An informative yet gripping and seductively gossipy memoir…Pulls back the curtain on connoisseurship at its most powerful.”
“An insider’s look at the dramatic world of attributing and dating art…This art world Sherlock Holmes travels the globe…Delightful.”
“Rollicking and erudite…Costamagna’s candor and well-earned hubris make for an entertaining foray into the high-stakes art world.”
“Robertson Dean narrates this audiobook in an authoritative style that suits the high culture of its subject. He delivers an appropriately high-brow tone—for this audiobook may be categorized as appealing mostly to those in the specialized world of art appreciation, authentication, and the evaluation of provenance.”
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