The Art of Disappearing
The Art of Disappearing
Ellen MattsonThe unveiling of an oil painting becomes the catalyst for the breakup of a group of longtime friends. Was anything ever as it seemed?
When a group of friends gather in an artist’s studio, just like any other Sunday, for a viewing of his latest work, a single painting—unveiled with theatrical flair—upends their lives. The artwork, unexpectedly depicting the friends themselves, acts as a mirror and a judgment, exposing tensions, betrayals, and hidden realities. This evening will alter their lives forever. At the center is Miriam, a reserved conservator of old paintings, whose journey away from her marriage and social circle becomes an exploration of solitude, agency, and renewal. She takes refuge in her workshop, a quiet haven filled with old wood, linseed oil, and the ghosts of history, while the others swirl through summer trips, strained reconnections, and the unravelling of their once-stable roles.
Set against shifting seasons and a backdrop of art studios, parks, and decaying churches, the novel captures the fragile beauty of starting over when one is no longer young—but not yet resigned. Through gentle observations and tactile detail, the novel paints a world where every object has a story, and every silence holds a reckoning. Mattson’s prose is elegant, precise, and richly atmospheric. With emotional intelligence and a masterful sense of restraint, she allows tension to build in the interstices between what is spoken and what is withheld. Her characters are rendered with subtle irony, and the result is a novel that haunts with its clarity and lingers with its quiet resolution.
