Normal 0 21 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Normal Table"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-to-margin:0cm; mso-to-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;} An intricate psychological thriller that explores the origins of artistic genius, reality, and delirium. It explores the fine—and often nonexistent—line between genius and madness. After wowing critics and appearing on the New York Times list with a novel about Shakespeare's lost play, Michael Gruber creates a cultural thriller about the life and work of the infamous painter Diego Velázquez. Art, culture, and fraud are the paints with which he constructs the fascinating canvas of The Forgery of Venus. The plot alternates between past and present as it follows the trajectory of Chaz Wilmot, a painter who refuses to sell out: he could be successful, but he refuses to bow to the futile demands of the New York art market. He survives by working for magazines and advertising agencies. Until he becomes involved in a medical study for a drug that enhances artistic creativity. The substance has a singular effect on Chad. He finds himself in 17th-century Spain, where Velázquez is. Back in the real world, he's recreating the works of the Spanish genius from memory, incorporating his unique style: from the colors to the brushstroke patterns. Desperate to finance his sick son's treatment, Wilmont offers his talents to a dealer with access to artwork stolen by the Nazis. For a million dollars, he agrees to forge a Velázquez. And even without the experimental drug, he continues to experience the 17th century. Honest and deluded, he mocks the world while yearning to leave his mark on it. But is he going mad? What is real... his life in New York or in Spain? Is someone trying to drive him mad? Beyond the fake paintings, family ties, friendships, and business agreements are also not what they seem. The forgery of Venus blends erudition, narrative courage, and emotional density to confirm Gruber's reputation as one of the most talented writers working today.