Education
Mint Book Club
Mint Museum Book Club
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Date
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Book
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Author
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Description
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| Tuesday, September 21 6 pm |
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S
e e A b o v e
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This biography of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo reveals a woman of extreme magnetism and originality. Kahlo used her childhood experiences, tempestuous marriage to muralist Diego Rivera, and intermittent love affairs with both men and women as a backdrop for her paintings, resulting in haunting visual representations. Read and discuss the tumultuous life of an extraordinary 20th century woman -- with illustrations as rich as her legacy. Read a review from the Charlotte Observer of The Lacuna. |
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Tuesday, October
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The Rescue Artist: A True Story of Art, Thieves and the Hunt for a Missing Masterpiece
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E d w a r d D o l n i c k |
Dolnick’s compelling account of the 1994 theft of Edvard Munch’s The Scream focuses on the case’s hero, Scotland Yard's Art Squad specialist Charley Hill. He was charged with the job of locating and successfully retrieving the famous painting in its original condition. Get ready for a nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat account of The Scream’s rescue. Dolnick imparts information not only about Munch, but also about the art world's surprisingly lax security measures and the lack of motivation by authorities charged with retrieving art treasures. You'll enjoy this tightly woven, fast-paced story.
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| Tuesday, November 16 6 pm |
Antoine’s Alphabet: Watteau and His World 
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J e d P e r l |
Perl uses the mysterious painter Antoine Watteau as the inspiration for his investigation of the relationship between art and life. He weaves historical fact and personal reflections to reconstruct the story of this pioneering bohemian artist. Despite his early death in 1721 at age 36, Watteau managed to influence innumerable painters and writers in the centuries since then. Perl reflects on Watteau in the form of an alphabet, thereby creating a new way to think about art. Hunt for the treasure of Watteau's life and vision in 18th century Paris with Perl's reaffirmation of the contemporary relevance of young love and imperishable dreams. |
| Tuesday, December 21 6 pm |
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M a r k L a m s t e r |
Peter Paul Rubens is best known as the Old Master with a penchant for fleshy, pink nudes. According to his contemporaries, Rubens had no artistic equal. His undeniable genius, modest disposition and reputation as a man of tact and discretion secured his position among European monarchs and political leaders. These same qualities equipped him as a 17th century spy. Master of Shadows tells the story of Rubens' life and recreates the culture, religious conflicts and political intrigues of his time. Painting commissions allowed Rubens free access to various European capitals. Spain recognized his value and enlisted him in diplomatic service. He negotiated a long-sought-after peace treaty between England and Spain. Master of Shadows weaves a gripping drama of cloak-and-dagger diplomacy with an insightful, authoritative exploration of Rubens' art. |
| Tuesday, January 18 6 pm |
The Women  |
T.
C. B o y l e |
Frank Lloyd Wright's cruel magnetic genius was evidenced by a string of failed marriages and affairs. This biographic reimagining delves into Wright's mythology. Moving back through time, the narrative tells the account of four women in Wright’s life: Olgivanna, Miriam, Kitty and Mamah. Taliesin, his Oz-like Wisconsin home, is the setting for tragedy; fire and brutality serve as symbols of Wright's inner turmoil. Tadashi Sato, Wright's Japanese-American apprentice and the book’s narrator, emerges as a complex reflection of Wright. His inability to remain objective and his evolving view of Wright and Wright’s image becomes the story’s most dynamic character. |
| Tuesday, February 15 6 pm |
The Private Lives of the Impressionists  |
S u e R o e |
Deepen your appreciation for the Impressionists as Roe constructs a penetrating group portrait of these revolutionary artists. Manet, Pissarro, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Sisley, Morisot and Cassatt are set against a panoramic rendering of their turbulent times. Each artist is incisively defined in terms of their complex interactions as they devoted themselves to paintings that were initially met with derision. Roe's intertwined stories of these disciples of light, color, atmosphere and commonplace beauty weave a fascinating and heartbreaking tale of artistic bliss, rowdy café life, poverty, family conflict, friendship, love and tragedy. |
| Tuesday, March 15 6 pm |
Waking Raphael
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L
e s l i e F o r b e s |
Waking Raphael sets the stage in idyllic Urbino, Italy, birthplace of Renaissance painter Raphael. Prim English divorcee and art restorer Charlotte Penton has been commissioned to restore a Raphael, but finds herself embroiled in a plot involving deadly secrets and betrayals from the past that begin with an attack on the painting. As Charlotte and her rival, the sexy Canadian Donna, look for answers in the painting, they become entangled in the mystery of San Rocco, a village whose destruction during World War II hides another sordid secret protected by powerful men. Forbes' digressions into topics such as hoax miracles and Italian cuisine add flavor and depth to the novel. |
| Tuesday, April 19 6 pm |
The Man Who Made Vermeer’s: Unvarnishing the Legend of Master Forger Han van Meegeren 
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o n a t h a n L o p e z
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This engaging study examines the fascinating case of Han van Meegeren, a notorious Dutch art forger and folk hero who duped Nazi leaders with his successful forgeries. According to Lopez, van Meegeren's forgery career started long before WWII. Contrary to van Meegeren's claim that he was avenging himself on the art critics who had scorned his own work, Lopez says he was motivated by financial gain and Nazi sympathies. What is a forger if not… an artist who secretly takes history itself for his canvas? Lopez asks provocatively. The author gives a vivid portrait of 1920s The Hague, a stylish place of mischief and artifice where van Meegeren learned his trade, and brilliantly examines the influence of Nazi Volksgeist imagery on van Meegeren's The Supper at Emmaus, part of his forged Biblical Vermeer series. Lopez's writing is witty, crisp and vigorous. |
| Tuesday, May 17 6 pm |
Dancing for Degas  |
K a t h r y n W a g n e r |
In the City of Lights, at the dawn of a new age, begins an unforgettable story of great love, great art—and the most painful choices of the heart. See Edgar Degas through the eyes of a young Parisian ballerina, Alexandrie. An ambitious and enterprising farm girl, she joins the prestigious Paris Opera ballet with hopes of securing not only her place in society but also her family’s financial future. Her plan is soon derailed as Alexandrie falls in love with the enigmatic artist and is drawn deeper into Degas’ scandalous artwork and Paris’ secrets. |
| Tuesday, June 21 6 pm |
Vanished Smile: The Mysterious Theft of the Mona Lisa
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R. A. S c o t t i |
In 1911 the Mona Lisa is brazenly stolen from the Louvre. Scotti tells the story of the two-year quest to bring her home, while exploring the puzzling crime and the source of the painting's universal appeal. The trail was cold from the start. Rumors abounded about greedy, wealthy American collectors and the Louvre's lax security. No one in Paris was above suspicion, not even the young Pablo Picasso.
The portrait was eventually recovered in Florence in 1913, its theft apparently the result of a young Italian's misguided patriotism. Scotti is eager to remind readers that the mystery is far from over. |
For a printable list of 2010-2011 books click here. All books are available at Park Road Books, book club members receive a 20 percent discount. Direct questions to Allison Taylor by e-mail or call 704.337.2032.