I enjoyed this book and the way the story moved. I felt the art come alive. This book gave me such new perspectives on the art industry and the story was very intriguing. 3.5/5

Surreal Account of the Unreal

The narrator in "Portrait of an Unknown Lady" is an Argentine art critic working in an auction house, affording her the opportunity to conspire in a network selling forgeries of portraits by the celebrated Mariette Lydis. One day the network collapses and she commits to tracking down the mysterious Renée, the legend responsible for conjuring up the counterfeit masterpieces. This investigation sounds intriguing, promising a look behind the scenes of the art world.

Early on, though, the narrator warns off the reader... "the stuff of my tale has slipped through my fingers, all that remains now is a little of the atmosphere; my techniques are those of the impressionist...I have only distrust for historians coercing the reader with the precision of facts..." And like that, anything goes. There are captivating sections and bizarre characters... but there are just as many seemingly unconnected tangents. You might find yourself adrift at times, hoping you have not missed anything in the confusion.

What is authentic, anyway... in art, in a narrative? This question materializes often here. Those selling the forgeries justify what they do-- claiming the real corruption lies in the practices of those controlling the market. The fake work can be just as meaningful as the original. Impressions can be faulty... whether you are appraising the legitimacy of artwork or judging an unnamed narrator whose irregular smile leads you to suspect her honesty.

Maria Gainza has sketched a curious piece of work here. I did not completely understand it any more than I would an abstract painting or the cryptic lyrics of a brilliant songwriter. "Portrait of an Unknown Lady" is an original experience that both dazzles and confounds. Not an exploration for everyone, but I recommend it if you are up for the adventure.

Thank you Catapult, Counterpoint Press, Soft Skull Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This story about art (paintings) forgery has many observations, said and unsaid, about reality, authenticity, honesty, passion, what is knowable and what is not. The narration takes many forms including dreams, an art auction catalog, and fragments of court records. Characters from the art world and those who create it, collect it, report on it, investigate it, and forge it give the reader a panorama of views. The narrator, who begins the book as an assistant to an art investment expert at a bank but winds up as a journalist and biographer, weaves in the quandary of every non-fiction writer – how to not lie in the face of constant uncertainty. While I learned a lot and enjoyed Gainza’s observations about art, I could have done with a little more character and plot and fewer aphorisms.

Una novela que es una biografía de una biografiada elusiva como su propia obra: las mejores falsificaciones de pintura —se le conoce como la Negra, y la narradora llega a hacer la comparación con los "negros literarios"—. Una narración que en algunos puntos es interesante y en otros es desprolija, anécdotas que por momentos se sienten pegados a fuerza.