The Connoisseur. Evan S. Connell

      

      THE CONNOISSEUR

      OTHER BOOKS BY EVAN S. CONNELL

      Alchymic Journals

      The Anatomy Lesson and Other Stories

      At the Crossroads

      The Aztec Treasure House

      The Collected Stories of Evan S. Connell

      Deus Lo Volt!

      The Diary of a Rapist

      Double Honeymoon

      Francisco Goya

      A Long Desire

      Mesa Verde

      Mr. Bridge

      Mrs. Bridge

      Notes from a Bottle Found on the Beach at Carmel

      The Patriot

      Points for a Compass Rose

      Saint Augustine’s Pigeon

      A Long Desire

      Son of the Morning Star

      The White Lantern

      Copyright © 1974 by Evan S. Connell, Jr.

      First Shoemaker & Hoard edition 2005

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the Publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission to reprint previously published material:

      Holle-Verlag: For two brief excerpts from Pre-Columbian Art and Later Indian Tribal Arts by Ferdinand Anton and Frederick J. Dockstader (1968 Harry N. Abrams, Inc.).

      The Metropolitan Museum of Art: For an excerpt from Before Cortés: Sculpture of Middle America, copyright © 1970 by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

      Simon & Schuster, Inc.: For excerpts from Art Before Columbus by André Emmerich and Lee Boltin (1963 Simon & Schuster, Inc.).

      Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

      Connell, Evan S., 1924–

       The connoisseur / Evan S. Connell.

       p. cm.

       1. Indian art—Collectors and collecting—Fiction. 2. Collectors and collecting—Fiction. 3. Southwestern States—Fiction. 4. Middle-aged men—Fiction. 5. New York (N.Y.)—Fiction. 6. Widowers—Fiction. I. Title.

      PS3553.O5C65 2005

      813'.54—dc22 2005042600

      Cover art: Fresco cylinder from Maya Classic Period, A.D. 600–900, private collection

      Cover and text design by David Bullen

      SHOEMAKER HOARD

      An Imprint of Avalon Publishing Group, Inc.

      1400 65th Street, Suite 250

      Emeryville, CA 94608

      Distributed by Publishers Group West

      e-book ISBN 978-1-61902-692-6

       to Robert Gottlieb

       Id quod visum placet.

       Thomas Aquinas

      Contents

The Connoisseur

THE CONNOISSEUR