Fiction
Our books editor dips into some recent art-historical fiction
Topics covered in the publications range from a Renaissance sculptress and Baroque Rome to 1930s Manchester and Frida Kahlo
How novelists continue to be inspired by artists
Several books out this summer use art as a springboard—we speak to some of their authors
A hated portrait and a forged masterpiece: two new thrillers with paintings at their centre
Oscar de Muriel is inspired by a real Frida Kahlo painting, while Lynda la Plante invents a Jean-Michel Basquiat forgery
French novel explores Van Gogh and Goya—through the eyes of a young girl
The book provides a fresh perspective on famous works, cruising through the last few centuries of Western art
‘Viscerally real’: a Caravaggio painting provides inspiration for a newly translated novel
The Italian scholar Alessandro Giardino posits his theories about the Baroque artist’s Seven Works of Mercy in fictional form
Complex novel echoes the life of pioneering Black American artist Edmonia Lewis
The Somali-Italian author Igiaba Scego's tale of empowerment draws on the artist's journey from Native American reservation to international fame
Old Master meets YBAs: James Cahill tells us all about his debut novel
The author explains why his new coming-of-age novel is set against the backdrop of the 1990s art world and what drew him to the paintings of the titular Tiepolo
Five of the best recently published art-inspired novels
Our pick of new fiction with an art theme, from seasoned writers to exciting newcomers
The art world’s Christmas reading
Artists, collectors, critics, museum directors and auction house executives pick their holiday books