I found this at the used bookstore a while ago. Whether I release it or not depends how much I like it :-)

About the story:

This luminous story begins in the present day, when a professor invites a colleague to his home to see a painting that he has kept secret for decades. The professor swears it is a Vermeer--but why has he hidden this important work for so long? The reasons unfold in a series of events that trace the ownership of the painting back to World War II and Amsterdam, and still further back to the moment of the work's inspiration. As the painting moves through each owner's hands, what was long hidden quietly surfaces, illuminating poignant moments in multiple lives. Vreeland's characters remind us, through their love of this mysterious painting, how beauty transforms and why we reach for it, what lasts and what in our lives is singular and unforgettable.

This is another book about a painting and an artist I knew nothing about. But, as before with I am Madame X, I found my lack of knowledge didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book. I really liked the way this book was written in separate "stories" that traced the painting's owners right back to the artist himself. Each story was interesting in itself and you got a bit of a feel for each time period. All the stories together made for an interesting novel.