Before reading the reviews or checking the bestseller lists, attracted only by the briefest of summaries and unaware of the length, I uploaded The Goldfinch on my ereader. The idea that a little known, diminutive painting would carry the narrative was intriguing. Now that Donna Tartt’s book is number one on the New York Times bestseller list it is hard to avoid the numerous reviews and volumes of commentary on the characters, their lives and interactions. The further removed I am from the final chapter, the more mixed are my opinions, with one exception: Carel Fabritius’ painting remains impressive. Whether viewed as a plot device, as the main character or as metaphor, the little goldfinch is memorable . . . “It exists; and it keeps on existing.”

The Goldfinch, painted by Carel Fabritius (1622 – 1654) shortly before his death, was included in the Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Hals: Masterpieces of Dutch Painting from the Mauritshuis exhibit from October 22, 2013 to January 19, 2014 at The Frick Collection in New York. This was the last American venue on the global tour of these paintings from the Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis in The Hague, the Netherlands and an opportunity for visitors to view The Goldfinch in person.