I had an idea for a new mystery.  I was always fascinated by the Holocaust and the horrors of WWII.  As a museum professional, I happened upon a book called “The Lost Museum” by Hector Feliciano.  It’s the story about the systematic plundering of Jewish-owned artwork by the Nazis.  I was hooked.  I read many books to follow, some of which you may be familiar with like “The Rape of Europa” by Lynn Nicholas.

Since my earlier two books are mysteries that take place in the past around real events, but are solved by modern technology, I pondered my new story line.  What about a particular piece of art that was stolen from its Jewish owner, but to this day, has never been seen again?  Add to that a photograph of the said painting that comes to light 70 years later.  Can the painting be authenticated by a photograph?  Now I was doubly hooked.

How do I even begin the research on this book?  I needed a missing painting, a backdrop for the historic story, and some state-of-the-art digital photography thrown into the mix.  I started with the backdrop: France during the German occupation.  The following photos will give you a glimpse into the tour that inspired my book.

My first stop was Normandy because my husband and I were both eager to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the invasion, June 6, 1944.

Normandy, however, specifically the town of Bayeux, is also famous for the Bayeux Tapestry.  I knew that the magnificent work had been in jeopardy during the war and was whisked away to the Louvre repository for safekeeping.  It is actually not a tapestry but an embroidered cloth.  Here’s a small section of it.

From Normandy, we headed straight for the City of Light, Paris.  In terms of a novel, there were so many possibilities, I cannot even begin to name them.

The Museum that featured prominently in the looting of art during WWII was the Jeu de Paume, a small, elegant museum of contemporary art, located at the north end of the Tuileries Gardens.  This is a central location for my book.

I’m omitting photos of the Louvre because it actually doesn’t play a role in my novel.  (Read “The DaVinci Code” for that.)  Since the glass pyramid was constructed, the building entrance looks quite different than it did in the 1940s.

One of the characters in my book is a real person and true heroine: Rose Valland.  Rose was instrumental in keeping track of art confiscated by the Nazis and stored at the Jeu de Paume.  I gave her a fictional niece that helps tell her story.  This niece lives in Avignon, Provence, directly across from the stunning Palais des Papes.

Next stop on our trip.

Finally, I decided upon the painting I would use: Vincent van Gogh’s Still Life: Vase With Oleanders. 

He is one of my favorite artists.  Vase with Oleanders was an oil on canvas that he did in 1888 in Arles.  He was not at the asylum at Saint-Remy at that time, but we visited anyway.

Vincent’s painting is still missing today . . . but maybe not forever.