The
Fairfax Library Book Discussion Group will meet Thursday, July 13th at 7 p.m.
in the meeting room of the Fairfax Library to discuss our July book, The
Last Painting of Sara De Vos by Dominic Smith.
Discussion
questions are below.
Here
are some links for additional background and information:
Judith Leyster, the 2nd
woman to join the Guild of St. Luke
Coming
up, we have the following books to look forward to reading:
Thurs.
Aug. 10th The
Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen
Thurs.
Sept. 14th His
Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet
Thanks
for reading with us. I look forward to seeing you at the Fairfax Library.
Beth Bailey-Gates
Friends
of the Fairfax Library
Discussion Questions
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic
Smith
1. What
does At the Edge of a Wood mean to Sara, Marty, and Ellie? How did
your reactions to the painting shift throughout the novel?
2. How does
the memory of Kathrijn influence Sara’s art? What are Sara’s perceptions of
mortality and the natural world?
3. What does
the novel reveal about the distinctions between artists and art historians, and
between collectors and dealers? Is art forgery a form of art?
4. What
empowers Ellie and Sara despite the chauvinism they face when they launch their
respective careers?
5. Would you
want the Rent-a-Beats at your party? In their disdain for capitalism, do they
do a good job of exposing the plight of someone like Sara?
6. As you
read about the great lengths taken to transport the painting from the museum in
Leiden, what came to mind about the value of a fake? What value should Ellie’s
painstakingly created painting possess? How does the muddy nature of falsehood
and illusion shape her relationship with Marty?
7. As you
observed the stark difference between the Guild of St. Luke in the Netherlands
and the modern auction scene in Manhattan, what did you discover about the
economics of the art world? Has the patronage system that provided Sara with a
benefactor (through Barent’s creditor, Cor- nelis Groen) disappeared?
8. If you had
been in Ellie’s situation, would you have accepted Gabriel’s invitation to
“restore” At the Edge of a Wood?
9. Discuss
the three marriages portrayed in the book: Sara and Barent, Sara and Tomas,
Marty and Rachel. When does love flourish in the novel? What causes it to fade?
10.
What is Marty seeking on his sojourn to Sydney?
What realizations emerge when he and Ellie are reunited? What misconceptions
are laid to rest?
11.
Beyond additional paintings, what is Ellie
seeking when she makes the pilgrimage to Edith Zeller’s bed-and-breakfast?
12.
Consider the author’s decision to make the Dutch
Golden Age his backdrop. What particular qualities permeate the novel as a
result of that choice?
13.
Does At the Edge of a Wood convey any
messages that endure across the centuries? What would Sara think if she could
have known the fate of her work?
14.
How does The Last Painting of Sara de
Vos enhance the portraits of humanity presented in other novels by Dominic
Smith that you have enjoyed?
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