Two novels dissect art market psychology through dealers' erotic and economic desires

Michael Cunningham's 'By Nightfall' and Steve Martin's 'An Object of Beauty' explore the art market's intimate relationship with desire. Martin's novel follows Lacey Yeager, a Sotheby's employee who leverages her sexuality and ambition to open her own Chelsea gallery during the contemporary art boom. Her character finds more arousal from possessing artworks like a Milton Avery painting than from sexual encounters, including a rape she views dispassionately. Cunningham's protagonist Peter Harris is a mid-level dealer experiencing a midlife crisis when his wife's brother Ethan, a drug-abusing aspiring artist, visits. The narrative examines Harris's homoerotic desires and narcissism. Both books connect aesthetic pleasure to erotic desire, drawing parallels between viewing art and the male gaze theory from Laura Mulvey's essay. Reviewers note Martin's detailed knowledge of auction house operations and art world names, though critics argue the novels lack deeper exploration of why art matters beyond commerce. The review contrasts these fictional accounts with Patti Smith's memoir 'Just Kids' about her life with Robert Mapplethorpe, suggesting true artists live for their art rather than just selling it. 'By Nightfall' was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux with 256 pages for $25, while 'An Object of Beauty' came from Grand Central Publishing in 2010 with 304 pages for $26.99.