Tiny pearls nestle in her headband they catch the light, winking at the severity of her coiffure. Through the glass, sunlight streams on to her face. In places, Moggach’s description echoes Dutch paintings of the period: “Sophia stands at the window. For example, “‘Trust not to appearances.’ Jacob Cats, Moral Emblems, 1632.” And, another chapter heading, by the same author, ‘Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret places is pleasant.’ They shed fresh light on the story being told. After four chapters I realised the significance of the quotation at the head of each chapter, and went back to the beginning again. The reader must remain vigilant to catch everything. He paints the ghost of this, though it is now gone.” For a moment, when the old man was talking, her lips curved into a smile – a smile of complicity. He mixes pink on his palette – ochre, grey and carmine – and strokes the paint lovingly on the canvas. “Jacob van Loos is not painting the old man’s mouth. It is the sort of novel which seems simple but has hidden depths. The plot moves quickly, things are hinted at and passed over but relevant later.

The deft switching of viewpoints – and each chapter is a single voice, Sophia, Cornelis, Jan, Maria and Willem – allows for a new take on each situation. It is a decision which changes their lives. Sophia’s husband Cornelis is rich, thanks to tulips, and he celebrates his wealth by commissioning a joint portrait to be painted. This is the setting for Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach, when Rembrandt and Vermeer painted some of the most-recognised art of our time. Urn:oclc:471642674 Republisher_date 20120223200316 Republisher_operator Scandate 20120222142917 Scanner in the 17 th century was a time when commerce was king and the sale of tulip bulbs made some people very rich and others bankrupt. OL109911W Page-progression lr Page_number_confidence 94.23 Pages 296 Pdf_module_version 0.0.20 Ppi 514 Related-external-id urn:isbn:0307423417 Access-restricted-item true Addeddate 20:38:49 Boxid IA170801 Boxid_2 CH104901 Camera Canon EOS 5D Mark II City New York Donor

Tulip fever book review