Author:William Boyd
The infamous literary hoax that fooled the art world
On January 8 1960, artist Nat Tate set out to burn his entire life's work. Four days later he jumped off a Staten Island ferry, killing himself. His body was never found.
When William Boyd published his biography of Abstract Expressionist Nat Tate, tributes poured in from a whole host of artists and critics in the New York art world. They toasted the troubled genius in a Manhattan launch party attended by David Bowie and Gore Vidal.
But Nat Tate never existed. The book was a hoax.
Will Boyd's biography of a fake artist is a brilliant probe into the politics of authenticity and reputation in the modern art scene. It is a playful and intelligent insight into the fascinating, often cryptic world of modern art.
William Boyd has probably written more classic books than any of his contemporaries
—— Daily TelegraphA finely judged performance: a deft and resonant alchemy of fact and fiction, of literary myth and imagination
—— Guardian on Love Is BlindOne of Britain's most celebrated contemporary novelists
—— Sunday TimesWhat a jewel this is, driven by desire, grief, yearning loss, illuminated by hope, the kindness of strangers continually making tribute to the delicacy and grace of the Arab home the author lost so many years ago
—— Peter Carey, The Australian, Books of the YearA fluid series of meditations on the big questions of life, on love, faith, time and on the nature and purpose of art, the influence of architecture and, most important of all to this author, grief, mourning and memory
—— SpectatorMingles insightful and often moving art history with frank personal recollection in a way that reminds us of the communality we share not only with our contemporaries, but with all historical epochs. I can think of no better expression of the humane than this economical, modest, yet altogether breathtaking book
—— New StatesmanHisham Matar is a brilliant narrative architect and prose stylist, his pared-down approach and measured pace a striking complement to the emotional tumult of his material
—— Wall Street JournalWhat interests him in this art is the human knowledge the painter is trying to convey. The description is exact and graceful, as Matar's prose tends to be
—— New York Times, 11 New Books We Recommend This WeekA Month in Siena bears all the hallmarks of Matar's writing: it is exquisitely constructed and the use of language is precise and delicately nuanced without pretension. And there is a deceptive simplicity to his endeavour: to look at art. What emerges is an altogether more complex philosophical exploration of death, love, art, relationships and time
—— Financial TimesA deeply moving, engrossing book. Written in elegant, concise prose, it is a remarkable mediation on life, loss, mourning, exile, friendship and the power of art
—— Wall Street JournalHisham Matar has the quality all historians - of the world and the self - most need: he knows how to stand back and let the past speak
—— Hilary MantelA thing of beauty and wisdom
—— MonocleA dazzling exploration of art's impact on his life and writing, and a moving contemplation of grief
—— Financial TimesAn exquisite, deeply affecting book
—— Evening StandardEverybody should get to spend a month with Mr. Matar, looking at paintings
—— Zadie SmithBewitching . . . Meditating on art, history and the relationship between them, this is both a portrait of a city and an affirmation of life's quiet dignities in the face of loss
—— The Economist, Books of the YearA compelling and thoroughly absorbing amalgam of history, autobiography, travelogue and philosophical ruminations on the nature of creativity and many other things besides
—— Monica Bohm-Duchen , Jewish ChronicleDe Waal…sees the world in a shard of white porcelain, thoughtfully and poetically tracing its invention and material production from imperial China through medieval Europe, and Cherokee creeks to the satanic factories of Nazi Germany. Global cultural history, structural and individual: this should be a humanising core text on the now sadly abandoned liberal arts curriculum.
—— Professor E. Stina Lyon , Times Higher EducationAn intimate and lyrical writer with a sophisticated grasp of cultural history… De Waal’s prose thrives on exchanges of curiousity… The White Road feels like a long book, and a long book may sometimes have qualities peculiar to its size. It may be by turns capricious, slow-drifting, and affected. It may yet enlarge your world.
—— Julian Bell , New York Review of BooksA stylishly written account with a surprisingly spiritual dimension. Engrossing.
—— Rebecca Wallersteiner , LadyDe Waal’s charm lies in his ability to undertake obsessive research, to pile up and accrue, to involve the reader in almost frantic travelling, note-taking and reading. There’s no doubting that The White Road is a mighty achievement.
—— Kathleen Jamie , GuardianHis enthusiasm is infectious... This is not just about one ancient industry – somehow, superbly, it's about industry itself
—— William Leith , Evening StandardCombining what is clearly a life-long love of art with an admirable depth of knowledge, Barnes brings a novelist’s eye to the gallery wall and, with this, a fresh, accessible approach to the stories being told in each painting.
—— Lucy Scholes , IndependentThought-provoking, beautifully presented, tender.
—— Rachel Joyce , ObserverBarnes has a wonderful eye for what makes a good picture, and a command of language that again and again allows readers to share what he sees.
—— Andrew Scull , Times Literary SupplementWell-informed and deeply admiring, but never didactic.
—— Prue Leith , Woman and Home[It] gave me a new confidence in how to engage with, understand and, more importantly, enjoy wandering around an exhibition.
—— Mariella Frostrup , ObserverFor those…insecure when viewing art, not always sure how to decode it or emotionally engage with it, this offers a lifeline…Utterly compelling.
—— Mail on Sunday , Mariella FrostrupA typically elegant ad absorbing book by one of t great contemporary English Writers, and with strong Gallic undertones – a wonderful set of essays about artists, many of them French, covering the period from Romanticism through to modernism.
—— Terry Lempiere , GuardianOpinionated, enthusiastic, witty and beautifully written.
—— Charlotte Heathcote , Sunday ExpressJulian Barnes is best known for his fiction...but he's also an excellent art writer... Peppered with personal insights and select historical detail, each piece is as engaging as the next
—— Millie Watson , Citizen FemmeUnusually moving.
—— William Leith , Evening Standard