Artworks in "The Goldfinch"
April 19, 2014 6:24 PM   Subscribe

Artworks in "The Goldfinch"
A small project, but I have compiled pictures or examples of every artwork mentioned in Donna Tartt's "The Goldfinch" (which just won the fiction Pulitzer) and created a Pinterest pinboard showcasing the art. Read from the bottom up to see them in the order they appear in the book; there are minor spoilers in the descriptions.

Each work includes the page number it appears on and (at least part of) the identifying quote, unless Tartt directly gives the work's title in the book.

I was frantically googling to see a list and pictures of the artworks in the book, as I am not artistically-inclined and was having trouble understanding the scene-setting in the beginning at the Dutch Masters show. The internet had not yet provided a compilation (lazy internet!), so I did it myself. It was very interesting to put together and see how she uses art to reinforce the themes of the novel and provide depth to the characters who talk about each piece. (Mrs. Barbour, for example, who is a wealthy, old-Dutch, Social-Register lady, talks almost exclusively about American art from New England and New York, all pre-Civil-War. Rembrandt is the one exception.) I also feel I now have a greater appreciation for the Dutch Masters after combing through their works so long!

A small project, but perhaps of interest to Mefites reading the book.
Role: curator/compiler
posted by Eyebrows McGee (4 comments total) 7 users marked this as a favorite
This project was posted to MetaFilter by divabat on April 20, 2014: Artworks in The Goldfinch

I just started reading the Goldfinch -- this will be very helpful! Thanks!
posted by hapax_legomenon at 7:40 PM on May 13, 2014


That's very cool!! :)
posted by ichomp at 9:21 PM on May 27, 2014


I ADORED The Goldfinch (not as much as The Secret History which I read at uni, and haven't tried The Little Friend yet) and this board just brings it all back to life. Thank you!
posted by adventureswithwords at 3:52 AM on May 31, 2014


I just finished The Goldfinch and I came to mefi to find what folks had said about it. I forgot you had done this! Thanks, it's great!
posted by ocherdraco at 11:21 AM on January 17, 2015


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