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Fred Taylor, retired from undisclosed covert action in southeast Asia, is wandering on Boston's Beacon Hill late on in an evening, when he sees a pair of men emerging from a taxi. The older man is trying to deal with an inebriated younger man, and Taylor comes over to help. They get the younger man to his apartment, around the corner, when the younger man, Franklin Tilley, attempts to sweep the older one, Clayton Reed into his apartment while locking Taylor out on the landing. Taylor is on to the scam and doesn't let this happen, but rather enters and grabs Tilley forcing him to drop the drunk act. It turns out that Tilley's apartment is full of works of art, some obvious fakes but others that appear to be the real thing, The young man reluctantly sells Reed a painted chest he had admired. Fred carries the chest from Tilley's apartment to Reed's house on Mountjoy Street where they open it and find that there is a painting on the inside of the lid. Both Fred and Clayton believe it to be an unknown Leonardo, very few of whose paintings survive. The painting is Madonna of the Apes, a representation of Mary and Jesus with Apes in a desert landscape. Fred runs interference for the Apleyesque Mr Reed. Reed is rich and reclusive and the mysterious Taylor, who has a house in Charlestown that he rarely goes to, seems to be an art expert among his other skills. This is the prequel to the books featuring Reed and Taylor. Taylor, in later books, becomes Reed's art consultant and agent and is always getting the wealthy Reed out of trouble. MADONNA OF THE APES is no different. Kilmer shows us how the two met while giving us a puzzle to solve. Most other art mysteries deal with more accessible art. Taylor has been involved in getting and authenticating artworks for Reed, including a Vermeer possibly hidden behind a mundane landscape; a fragment of a painting that may have been by Copley; a 17th century Italian school painting of Christ in Agony (O SACRED HEAD also involves a blizzard attacking Boston); a pornographic painting possibly by Turner and an illustrated manuscript from the 15th century depicting Lazarus. In all, we get a good lesson in the art of the period as well as a rousing mystery. The author is an art historian, teacher, dealer and painter. He uses his background well.
Reviewed by Barbara Franchi, September 2005
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Contact: Yvonne Klein (ymk@reviewingtheevidence.com)
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