Page 84 of Beyond Her Manner
“I thought you cared about her. Perhaps even loved her.”
“I do, but I can’t dictate my life around some of her emotions while she ignores others. She’s doing everything she can to push them away.” Realising how much frustration was in her voice, Viola took a breath, only to find her voice wavering as she continued. “I can see how she feels about me. She says it with her eyes, even if she won’t admit it.”
There was a soft sigh on the other end before Caroline’s voice came through, filled with quiet sympathy. “You know you can’t force these things. If it’s meant to be, it will be. You must give her space and hope she comes around.”
“I know.” Viola sighed. “I said as much to her.” Her phone vibrated against her ear to indicate another call on the line. A glance at the number set her heart racing. “I’m going to have to phone you back. The Courtauld Institute are calling about that painting.”
“Which painting?”
“The one I hung up that Gillian disliked,” Viola confirmed.
“What did they want with it?”
“I hope I’m about to find out. I’ll call you back.” Viola hung up and accepted the incoming call before she lost it.
“It’s Georgina, from the Courtauld Institute.”
“Hi,” Viola replied.
“We’ve looked at your painting and carried out some sympathetic tests.”
“Great,” Viola said, gripping the phone. “What’s the conclusion?”
There was a brief pause before Georgina spoke again, making Viola nervous. “Have you heard of the artist Artemisia Gentileschi?”
“Only recently, from Arte, Charlotte’s wife. Seventeenth-century artist, right? Not bad for a woman in that era.”
“Correct. She was very much a modern woman in a patriarchal world. A lot of her early work ended up attributed to male artists or even her father as their styles were similar, so we’ve only recently begun cracking open the world of Artemisia in some respects. She came to England in the 1630s and worked alongside her father in the court of Charles I. Seven paintings by her are recorded in the inventories, and only one was thought to survive. Following the king’s execution, we suspect that manywere sold off and scattered across Europe. Another similar painting was recently discovered in the store at Hampton Court Palace, having been attributed to someone else. This painting holds a CR brand. Any idea what that means?”
“No,” Viola said, eager for the woman to continue.
“Carolus Rex. King Charles, Charles I specifically, in this case. It was one of the lost paintings. We’ve uncovered a CR branding under a couple of layers of backing material of your painting. It was very faint, but the imaging techniques we use revealed it.”
The penny dropped, and Viola quickly asked, “You think mine could be one of these lost paintings?”
“From what I’ve seen, I’m one hundred percent sure. Some notable experts on Gentileschi’s work have looked it over. We all agree it is an original. We tested some flecks of paint and one in particular interested us called lead antimonate yellow.It’s an unusual pigment particularly associated with her work. The nature of the painting, with the young woman stabbing the man in the back, is very much her style, I’m afraid to say. A lot of her work depicts very dramatic scenes, some very violent towards men. She was raped as a young woman, and men aren’t portrayed favourably in her art. She was quite the feminist. You own a very important piece of art. Thank you for bringing it to our attention.”
“What do I do now? Is it still mine, or should it be returned to someone?” Viola asked, realising she was completely clueless when it came to such things.
“No, it’s yours. It’s lost, not stolen. We’d like to know more about the provenance, but there is no doubt about what it is.”
“Do lost paintings often come with a provenance?”
“Yes and no. Some lost paintings aren’t actually lost but misattributed and have a provenance. With a painting that hasdisappeared completely, like in this case, provenance is trickier. Where did you find this?”
“It came into my possession with a house purchase; they were left in the attic. I do know the previous owner; it was her late husband that bought it.”
“It’s so often the case that these paintings come to light following deaths and house moves. I expect she will want it back.” Georgina chuckled.
“I expect so too,” Viola agreed.
“I can put you in touch with someone who can help you with everything. He’s a renowned art dealer and has experience with paintings of this level of importance.”
“Thanks,” Viola said, massaging her temples as she tried to take everything in. “That would be great. How much is it worth? Thousands?”
“Millions, more like. Although the lack of provenance could affect the price.”
Taking a moment to absorb the enormity of the figure, her thoughts went to the other paintings. “Are the other paintings worth anything?”
