19 Intriguing Novels About Art and Artists

The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis

I’ve been big on Gilded Age books recently, so I knew I would love reading about the Frick family and their gorgeous mansion built in that time frame. The bonus was that this dual-timeline story also featured a missing pink diamond!

The story of Helen Frick and her assistant at a formative time in Helen’s life that coincides with Magnolia Diamond’s disappearance is riveting. As is the later timeline, told 50 years later, when a model and a Frick Museum intern are locked in the mansion overnight and on the hunt for the missing diamond.

I couldn’t put this novel about art down. It might be my first Fiona Davis, but it won’t be my last!

The Botticelli Secret by Marina Fiorato

This gritty story is about a prostitute during the Italian Renaissance who needs to flee for her life after learning a secret while sitting for famed artist Botticelli. She turns to a novice, Brother Guido, for help after her friends start dying.

It’s sort of like a Da Vinci code set in the 15th century and it all revolves around Botticelli’s Primavera painting. It’s a fun, quick read and one of the first books set in Italy that I ever read. It was a must for novels about art.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

We cannot think of a more iconic pick for novels about art than this iconic work by Oscar Wilde. In the book, Dorian lives a hedonistic lifestyle and believes in beauty above all else. He stays the same externally while his portrait ages and portrays the ugliness within.

This novel about art caused a huge uproar when it was published. We cannot even imagine!

Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister by Gregory Maguire

You may recognize Maquire from his most famous work, Wicked. This fairy tale retelling reimagines the story of Cinderella.

In this version, set in 1700s Holland, Cinderella’s father is a painter. Told by one of the stepsisters, this story is a much different take on the classic tale and is filled with references to art. We were so excited to include this in our novels about art.

The Frame-up by Gwenda Bond

Dani Poissant is the daughter of the world’s most famous art thief who happens to be in jail because Dani turned her in. Now, ten years later, she is approached for a once-in-a-lifetime heist that can make up for her past mistakes and reunite herself with her mother’s old gang which includes the love of her life and her former best friend. Can she pull off the heist? Oh, did I mention that the secret to their success is magic?

Why We Liked it: The magical realism of this story set it apart from other art heist novels, but the magical mechanisms should have been more greatly explored in the story. The more interesting part was Dani’s journey of self-discovery and her realizations about her relationship with her mother.

Find this Book in books about thieves, novels about art

Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr

Buckle up for a stunning story in Lisa Barr’s newest book, Woman on Fire. Jules, an ambitious investigative journalist, is working on a story about a piece of art that was stolen by the Nazis during WWII. 

But she’s not the only one looking to track down Woman on Fire. Margaux, a gallerist and art thief, also wants to get her hands on the painting.

As we learn the origins of the painting and the many hands it switched to over the years, we also discover the dark underbelly of the art world.

I was ENTHRALLED with this novel about art. I’ll be putting this pick from mystery books on every must-read list we do this year. It was thrilling and informative. Buy it now, and thank me later.

Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore

This particular romance is set in 1920s England and is the third in Ms. Dunmore’s women’s suffragette series. Hattie Greenfield, artist extraordinaire, is forced into marriage with Lucian Blackstone, a self-made man (V frowned upon by nobles at the time.)

We love that she is an artist for our novels about art and they travel to Scotland on their honeymoon. Perfect for books about Scotland. But, we couldn’t stop thinking that it is also perfect for books Like Outlander!

While the romance itself is swoon-worthy, it’s the depth of non-romantic topics that make it a joy to read. I learned so much about the coal industry and the perils to coal communities in the process.

Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

Billed as Ocean’s 11 meets The Farewell, I found myself most closely comparing it to The Italian Job and I LOVED IT.

5 college students is hired by a Beijing art company to steal back relics stolen from the Old Summer Palace by colonists and now on display in famous museums the world over.

Each person brings their talents (getaway driver, hacker, art historian, etc.) and their dreams of what the life-changing sum they’ve been offered can mean for themselves and their immigrant families.

While it might sound frivolous, it’s actually a novel about art with a more emotional vein running beneath. One of longing to fit in, the struggle of straddling two worlds, and the quest for individual and collective identity as Chinese-Americans.

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel

I’m not sure I’ve ever read a nonfiction book that read so much like fiction. Imagine 2 people driving around Europe casually stealing billions of dollars worth of art from the most famous galleries and museums in the world.

That’s what this book about thieves is all about. I was floored by the writing, but the story is one I wouldn’t believe if it wasn’t true. It’s a fast, compelling book that art lovers, mystery lovers, and true crime aficionados must read.

Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman

While I don’t usually love non-fiction, this is one of the first books in the genre that really got me hooked. The relationship between Vincent Van Gogh and his brother, Theo, was complicated.

Their love for one another was inspiring, though they did fight often as brothers are wont to do. Most of all, I loved the description of the art and new it was a must for novels about art.