BRIAN HOWELL has masterfully interwoven three imagined episodes from the life of Johannes Vermeer. We observe the painter’s own childhood and apprenticeship. We read a crime story involving an episode from the life of a modern-day ‘copyist’, who is blackmailed into forging this masterpiece to save the woman he loves. We follow a French connoisseur who travels to Delft to visit Vermeer, only to find himself embroiled in a clandestine and deadly debate of the Painter’s Guild about a new invention.
Howell creates a work of breathtaking originality. Not only does this novel provide imaginative insight into the formation of an artist’s ‘vision’, charting his developing obsession with geometry and remoteness — but Howell illuminates the very act of seeing in a way that informs us about the creative process.
About the Author
 Born in London in 1961, BRIAN HOWELL has lived in Germany, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. He currently lives in Japan with his wife and two children. His short stories have appeared regularly since 1990. A fascination with Dutch seventeenth century painting, a strong interest in cinema and photography, and the influence of the different cultures and languages with which he has been involved have often informed Howell's fiction. The Dance of Geometry is his first novel.
For information regarding Howell's short story collection titled The Sound of White Ants, click here, and for his newest work, The Study of Sleep, click here.
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The Critics Praise:
“...this is a rich and sensuous read by a thoughtful and exquisitely attuned writer.”
Katharine Weber
“Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful, much better than the novels I’ve read recently on Vermeer… Congratulations on your piece. I think it’s superb.”
David Hockney
"Enchanting, superb."
Time Out
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