Portrét neznámé ženy – Silva Daniel (2023)

The legendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon has finally left his position as head of the Israeli intelligence service and settled in Venice – the only place where he has found peace. He spends his days wandering the streets and canals of the city built on water, escaping from the demons of his past. However, when eccentric London art dealer Julian Isherwood asks him to investigate the circumstances surrounding the discovery and advantageous sale of a centuries-old masterpiece, Gabriel finds himself in a deadly game of cat and mouse, where nothing is as it seems. Allon soon discovers that the painting in question – a portrait of an unknown woman, allegedly by Antoine van Dyck – is almost certainly a successful copy. In his desire to find the mysterious forger and thus uncover a billion-dollar fraud among the elite of the art world, he devises one of the most elaborate schemes of his career. However, for the plan to succeed, Gabriel must become the greatest art forger the world has ever seen. The Portrait of an Unknown Woman is a journey into a dark world where ruthless art dealers cheat their clients daily, and wealthy investors regard great artworks merely as another commodity to be bought and sold for profit. From the elegant introduction to the unexpected twists at the end, this novel is a true masterpiece. It is...