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The Last Painting of Sara de Vos

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos is a 2016 novel by the Australian-American author Dominic Smith.[1]

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos
AuthorDominic Smith
LanguageEnglish
GenreLiterary novel
PublisherSarah Crichton Books
Publication dateMay 2016
Publication placeUSA
Media typePrint
Pages384 pp.
Awards2017 Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction, winner
ISBN9780374106683

It was the winner of the 2017 Indie Book Awards Book of the Year – Fiction.[2]

Synopsis

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Sara de Vos, in 1631, was the first woman admitted as a master painter to the Guild of St. Luke's in Holland. Three hundred years after her death only one painting attributed to her remains. A young Australian painter is commissioned to paint a forgery of it and 50 years later discovers that the original and her forgery are to be both featured in an exhibition she is curating.

Critical reception

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Reviewing the novel for Australian Book Review Kerryn Goldsworthy found that "this beautiful novel is a gift. Even the most minor walk-on characters are brought to life in a few strokes; the three main characters are all vivid and intriguing".[3]

The Kirkus Reviews reviewer noted: "This is a beautiful, patient, and timeless book, one that builds upon centuries and shows how the smallest choices—like the chosen mix for yellow paint—can be the definitive markings of an entire life."[4]

Awards

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Publication history

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After the novel's initial publication in 2016 in USA by Sarah Crichton Books,[1] it was reprinted as follows:

  • Allen & Unwin, Australia, 2019[5]

It was also translated into Dutch in 2016, German and Italian in 2017, and French and Polish in 2018.[6]

Notes

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  • Dominic Smith wrote about overlooked women painters of the Dutch Golden Age in an essay for The Paris Review.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. 1 2 "The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith (Sarah Crichton)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  2. 1 2 ""Indie Book Awards - Winners 2017"". Australian Independent Booksellers. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  3. ↑ ""The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith"". Australian Book Review, June-July 2016. 23 May 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  4. ↑ ""THE LAST PAINTING OF SARA DE VOS"". Kirkus Reviews, 5 April 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  5. ↑ "The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith (A&U)". National Library of Australia. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  6. ↑ "Austlit — The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith". Austlit. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
  7. ↑ ""Daughters of the Guild by Dominic Smith"". The Paris Review, 4 April 2016. 4 April 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
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