Chapter 24: Harry’s Bar – Summary & Analysis
Spoiler Notice
Spoiler Notice: This analysis contains full plot details of Chapter 24, Harry’s Bar, in An Inside Job. Read on with caution.
Summary
Gabriel Allon arrives at Harry’s Bar in Venice to find Julian Isherwood, a consummate Old Masters dealer and longtime friend, already settled with an empty glass. Over Bellinis, Julian confirms he heard the rumor that Gabriel discovered the body of the Courtauld researcher floating in the lagoon. The conversation shifts to the murdered art historian Giorgio Montefiore, whom Julian exposes as a corrupt figure who took bribes for favorable attributions of paintings.
Julian then reveals that his business partner, former CIA operative Sarah Bancroft, has allowed him to travel to Amsterdam to examine a portrait of a young woman uncovered at a flea market. The seller is Peter van de Velde, a slippery contact. Suspecting this could be the long-lost Leonardo portrait tied to two murders, Gabriel shows Julian an infrared image of the missing work. Julian immediately recognizes it as the very painting he had fallen in love with at the Biblioteca Reale.
Despite the danger, Gabriel convinces Julian to keep the meeting, with both Sarah and himself providing covert surveillance. The pair walk to the Riva degli Schiavoni, where Gabriel points out the spot the Courtauld girl’s body was found. He resolves to finish what she started, and Julian agrees to one last, possibly disastrous fling in Amsterdam.
Key Events
- Julian Isherwood awaits Gabriel at a back table in Harry’s Bar with an empty glass and olives.
- Gabriel arrives, and the waiter instantly brings two Bellinis, hinting at his known reputation.
- Julian confesses he once fell desperately in love at Harry’s Bar with a young Venetian viscount’s daughter who refused his marriage proposal.
- Discussion turns to the murdered Giorgio Montefiore; Julian details how Montefiore sold flattering attributions to dealers who lacked expertise.
- Julian announces he is heading to Amsterdam to see a potential sleeper painting discovered at a flea market by dealer Peter van de Velde.
- Gabriel’s unease grows when Julian describes the painting as a portrait of a young woman.
- Gabriel displays the ghostly infrared image of the lost Leonardo on his phone; Julian confirms it is the painting he once admired.
- Gabriel persuades Julian to keep the Amsterdam appointment, promising Sarah Bancroft and himself will shadow the meeting.
- Walking through the darkened Piazza San Marco and along the Riva degli Schiavoni, Gabriel indicates the exact stretch of lagoon where the Courtauld researcher’s body was found.
- Julian, though fearful of being the third murder victim, accepts the mission as one last fling, and Gabriel remarks, “The good ones always do.”
Character Development
- Gabriel Allon: Portrayed as both the world’s finest restorer and a master manipulator. He uses Julian’s vanity and friendship to enlist him in a dangerous intelligence operation, all while staying hidden. His quiet sadness when observing the lagoon reveals a deepening personal stake in avenging the dead researcher.
- Julian Isherwood: Introduced through Gabriel’s fond lens. A brilliant but perpetually hungover dealer who prefers possessing art to selling it. His poignant memory of a lost love humanizes him and hints at a lifelong pattern of romantic and professional near-ruin. Despite his self-deprecating wit, he still craves one last meaningful adventure.
- Sarah Bancroft (mentioned): The former CIA field agent turned Julian’s business partner, whose efficiency has given Julian emeritus status. Her off-page role underscores that the Amsterdam operation will have professional tradecraft backing.
- The Courtauld Researcher (unnamed): Her murder drives Gabriel’s determination. She becomes a moral lodestar, her unfinished work transforming the hunt for the Leonardo into a debt of honor.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- “One Last Fling” as a Final Mission: Julian’s phrase for his Amsterdam trip echoes both a romantic dalliance and a spy’s last field operation. It frames the chapter around risk, nostalgia, and the acceptance that this fling “might end disastrously.”
- Harry’s Bar as a Confessional: The bar is a liminal space where secrets spill—Julian’s broken heart, Montefiore’s corruption, and the coordinates of the new operation. It contrasts the cocktail-hour glamour with the dark business of murder.
- Art–World Corruption: Montefiore’s bribery is a bright red line that Gabriel would never cross. This dishonesty is juxtaposed with Julian’s integrity and Gabriel’s skill, reinforcing the novel’s moral compass.
- The Lost Leonardo as an Object of Desire and Death: The infrared image functions like a ghost, linking the chapter to the dead Courtauld girl and foreshadowing danger. The painting is not just art but a magnet for violence.
- Sites of Grief: The precise location in the lagoon where the researcher’s body was found becomes a physical marker of loss, transforming a beautiful Venetian backdrop into a crime scene.
Why This Chapter Matters
Harry’s Bar pivots the plot from investigation into active operation. Julian’s arrival with a credible lead—a flea market portrait in Amsterdam—gives Gabriel a tangible target. The chapter also deepens the backstory of Montefiore’s corruption, clarifying why the art world’s gatekeepers would have silenced the Courtauld researcher. Most importantly, it rallies the team: Julian’s reluctant agreement, Sarah’s experienced backing, and Gabriel’s covert oversight set the stage for the next phase of the hunt. The emotional anchor—Gabriel’s vow to finish the dead girl’s work—ensures the ensuing mission carries moral weight, not just tactical calculation.
Study Questions and Answers
-
Why does Julian Isherwood describe Giorgio Montefiore’s reputation as “entirely undeserved”? Montefiore accepted money in exchange for favorable attributions, a corrupt practice that Julian witnessed firsthand with a Perugino painting. This dishonesty undermined genuine expertise and likely contributed to the cover-up around the lost Leonardo.
-
What makes Julian the perfect person to evaluate the flea market painting, and why must Gabriel stay hidden? Julian’s reputation as a top Old Masters dealer with a track record for finding misattributed sleepers gives his authentication immense credibility. If Gabriel, a known figure tied to intelligence and recent murders, appears, the painting will “magically disappear,” endangering both the operation and Julian.
-
How does the chapter use the lagoon setting to reinforce the stakes? Gabriel physically points to the moonlit water where the Courtauld researcher was found, transforming the romantic Venetian view into a reminder of murder. This gesture solidifies the human cost of the hunt and underscores why the mission must succeed “at least to finish what she started.”