Anne-Marie O'Connor

Three-part story of the family that commissioned Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer, a painting by Gustav Klimt, completed in 1907. Part I gives the background of how and why the painting was created. It presents biographical material on both Gustav Klimt and Adele Bloch-Bauer, as well as relevant history of Viennese society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Part II focuses on Nazi looting of art and other property from Jewish families, including the Bloch-Bauers, during WWII. It follows the stories of various family members, and how they escaped (or did not). Part III tells about the legal fight by the heirs to recover their paintings from the Austrian government many decades after the war.

O’Connor writes in a journalistic style. She includes a depth of detail about art history, the secessionist movement, and the art scene in Vienna prior to WWII. She also contributes to the canon of the Holocaust narrative by recounting the horrific tragedies and heroic rescues with respect to the extended family of the Bloch-Bauers. The book is well-researched and includes a massive amount of information, some of which is only tangentially related to the main premise. It covers an extensive time period and there are many names to recall. It probably could benefit from the inclusion of a family tree to assist readers in remembering all the players.

Overall, I found it a compelling story, combining art history, the Holocaust, and legal disputes. It is a niche read, appealing those that enjoy both art and history.
… (mais)

The title of the book is a bit misleading, as the first 2/3 really tells more of the story of the Bloch-Bauer family and how their world was destroyed when the Nazi's entered Austria.

Adele Bloch-Bauer was a socialite of the highest order in the Vienna of the late 19th and early 20th century. She was also a woman who craved education and intelligent conversation. She became acquainted with Gustav Klimt at the time when he revolted against the "expectations" of art and became a founding member of The Succession Movement of Art.

As I mentioned the early parts of the book take you through the war years and the German/Austrian theft of millions of dollars of Art. The book follows the painting through the years up to and including The landmark Supreme court decision that basically held Austria accountable to the families who lost so much.

This book is not for everyone, thus a 5 star rating wasn't in the mix. However, I enjoyed the history of the painting and learning a few things about the Jewish culture of Austria before the war.

… (mais)