Art historian Cate Adamson, still grieving the death of her brother and desperate to succeed, leaves her troubled parents in the Midwest to complete her doctorate in New York—only to find herself assigned to a misogynist advisor. She attempts to impress him until discovers a hidden painting, possibly a Baroque masterpiece, in the university basement — Risking her career, financial disaster, and further alienation from her family— she flees to Spain with the painting to consult art experts.
Antonio, an impoverished duke, clings to the decaying legacy of the House of Olivares. When he meets Cate on the train to Seville, he joins her search, and together they uncover evidence in his five hundred-year old library to support the painting’s provenance including a document about the artist’s final years that will shock the titans of art history. But Cate vacillates about revealing the truth, fearful that it may destroy her career, her family’s expectations, and her future with Antonio.
Written with vivid prose, rich references to seventeenth century Spanish art, compelling characters and a historical puzzle, Attribution is the story of one contemporary woman’s journey to understand the past—and unlock her future.
