An Object of Beauty: A Novel

An Object of Beauty follows Lacey Yeager, a young and ambitious woman who rises through the ranks of New York's art world after training at Sotheby's. Charming and driven, she climbs both social and career ladders while navigating the personalities and business of fine art collecting. Her trajectory mirrors the peaks and valleys of the art market and broader economy from the late 1990s onward. Steve Martin, himself a longtime art collector, draws on his expertise to explore both the mechanics of art dealing and the people who inhabit that world. The novel examines ambition, morality, and the dynamics between those who succeed and those who fail in this competitive landscape.