A Work of Art

Under the direction of Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda minister, the Nazis looted many hundreds of paintings during World War II, most of which have never been recovered. One of the G.I.s charged with finding them, members of the famous Monuments Men division, was the grandfather of Michael Angelo Lombroso, an amateur painter who is looking to get rich quick. Inspired by his grandfather's stories, Michael hits upon the scheme of a lifetime. One of the lost masterpieces is "The Tower of Blue Horses" by Franz Marc, a brilliant example of German Expressionism -- a genre that Michael has studied and knows well. A good fake, he thinks, may be as valuable as the real thing. He replicates it perfectly with era-specific paint and canvas, and passes it off as a "discovery" from his grandfather's storage room. He's about to become a very rich man -- until a Holocaust survivor claims that the painting belonged to her family. A trial ensues. Meanwhile, the art world is buzzing. Collectors offer Michael millions for the painting, which, of course, must be tested lest it prove a forgery. "A Work of Art" guides and entertains the reader through the complex and fascinating world of art, art business, and art legalities, as well as financial fraud and manipulation.