I love a good story about the visual arts. I believe it was books like Irving Stone’s “The Agony and the Ecstasy” (a biographical novel about Michaelangelo), that inspired me to seriously study the arts. Other authors have equally inspired my fascination with the arts, particularly Tracy Chevalier’s “Girl With a Pearl Earring” and Susan Vreeland’s “Luncheon of the Boating Party.” Although I tend to write more about classical music and music history in my novels, (“The Four Seasons Series” in particular), I have included sections on the visual arts.

How does a writer make a novel come alive and make readers feel like they're living the lives of these artists? The first and most important thing is to do the research. Make sure, as a writer, you thoroughly know, understand, and appreciate what you’re writing about. Not just the artist; nor any one particular work by that artist; nor the location; one must be vigilant in researching and appreciating the era and the history that inspired the work of art.

When I was working on my Master's degree in Art History, I was privileged to have a professor who was adamant that visual arts history shouldn’t be studied based on the art itself, but rather by the history behind it. He insisted that the study of art history should be classified as History in Art, not History of Art or Art History. Why? Because everything that was ever created was influenced by the world and the era in which it was created.

History aside, it’s important to bring the arty parts of the story alive, so the reader can really sense everything about the artist, making it into a vital and interesting part of the story. In my second book of “The Four Seasons” series, “Summer” (Baico, 2007), Sally Ann, the main character, Hope’s, best friend, is a very talented artist. When praising a portrait that Sally Ann has painted, Hope says, “It is a truly amazing work. You’ve painted an old lady with the beauty of youth, like a kid who sees his first Christmas tree. ... She has the same wonder in her eyes as that of a child, the same spirit of the young. And you have captured it all. Even her hands, her wonderful hands, are strong and sure and capable of so many things.” The painting is described in Hope’s words, in a simple but profound way of bringing the work into the story. The Mrs. Downer in the portrait later becomes a unique addition to the plot.

Make sure you know the technical terminology used to describe and discuss artwork. You don’t have to write the arty passages like a textbook, but you do need to make sure you’re writing things accurately. One of your readers might be a university professor in the arts and he/she/they would not be impressed to read something senseless and inaccurate.

In general, be accurate, and in tune with the history behind the works or the style of works being used, and don’t be overly in-depth in your descriptions. Also, if you’re using a current artist (or one alive within the last fifty years), make sure you have permission to use their work in your story. Visual arts have copyright protection just like the written word and the composed music. So, respect the work of others and give them due credit.