Art Matters

Here's a fascinating review by Jan van Doop of a book on the "Gardner Heist," the so called "world's largest unsolved art theft: http://openlettersmonthly.com/issue/book-review-gardner-heist-ulrich-boser/. Doop's an art type and a pretty gifted writer taking on a great story told by another gifted storyteller, Ulrich Boser. Essentially, a rich socialite (are there any others?), Isabella Stewart Gardner goes on one hellacious buying spree across the pond back in 1889 and lands a shitload of Rembrandts, Manets, Vermeers, etc. and brings 'em home to scenic Boston to stock her own museum. Then, on Saint Paddy's Day in 1990 when everyone in Boston is even more drunk and bitter than usual, a team of art thieves (no doubt wearing little black eye masks) fairly easily busted in the place and made off with sort of a holy grail of art, namely Rembrandt's "The Storm" and Vermeer's "The Concert" (see above). Since then, tons of investigative work and a five million dollar reward have resulted in exactly jack crap. Along the way, lots of interesting characters and a story that kind of turns into that riddle wrapped in a enigma covered in a tortilla kind of thing. Some of the scenarios discussed would make one cracking movie as long as they could keep Julia Roberts out of it.

I've bought some art. Not a lot and I'm miles away from really knowing anything about art besides what I think I like and don't like. Not really fond of a lot of modern art--I don't understand Jackson Pollock, so there you have it. I've seen the French impressionist stuff from both what's in Paris, along with the Met in New York and the Chicago Art Institute and that was worthwhile. Wanting to fill the spot over our fireplace with something meaningful, we commissioned an artist about a year ago. Told her what we liked and had in mind and she turned out something that I considered highly disappointing--it's sitting in a closet today being punished. One obvious mistake is getting an artist outside of his or her wheelhouse--she didn't have the resolve to tell me she wasn't comfortable or couldn't really get a handle on what we were asking and I wasn't smart enough to figure that out--anyway it didn't turn out well. That said, I saw some work from an artist at a restaurant the other night and called her. Long story short, she's doing a picture for us and we'll have the verdict in about forty five days. Afterwards, I'll just make sure to lock the door on St. Patrick's Day.