Dimensions
130 x 198 x 20mm
In the study of a contemporary house in Philadelphia, a reclusive college professor confides to a colleague a long-held secrete: he possesses a genuine but unknown Vermeer. The truth behind its acquisition has driven him almost mad with guilt, doubt and shame.
Thus begins this exquisite novel, composed of eight interlinked stories that trace the history of the hauntingly beautiful painting back to the moment of its inspiration in 17th century Delft. Each story is a luminous evocation of Dutch life, featuring people who have been touched by the painting's seductive beauty and mystery, and whose defining moments take place in its presence.
Like Vermeer's paintings, the novel is a quiet hymn to the redemptive power of beauty, its ability to illuminate the humblest and most difficult of lives, even to penetrate the thick skins of hypocrisy and religious intolerance. It is itself a work of art.
