Chapter 60: Harry’s Bar – Summary & Analysis

Spoiler Notice

This page contains a full summary and analysis of Chapter 60 of An Inside Job. The content reveals major plot developments and the resolution of several story threads. If you have not read this far, proceed with caution.

Summary

Gabriel refuses to restore the rediscovered Leonardo in the Vatican and instead receives the painting at Marco Polo Airport. After stripping away the old varnish and retouching, he invites the world’s foremost Leonardo scholars—Santelli, Barnes, Rolland, Kendall, and Zeller—to examine the bare panel. Every one of them declares it an autograph da Vinci, and Gabriel reports the news to Antonio Calvesi.

Security around the Allon family intensifies as the Carabinieri arrest Don Lorenzo Di Falco and hundreds of his Camorra clan. The criminal empire unravels: French and Spanish police make related arrests, SBL PrivatBank collapses, and Martin Landesmann acquires its elegant buildings at a steep discount. The Holy See loses three hundred million euros on the original investment. A fresh threat, however, emerges when a London Telegraph story reports that the ex-wife of Russian oligarch Alexander Prokhorov, who owns the fake Leonardo Gabriel sold, is demanding a full inventory of his art collection. Gabriel realizes the fraud will be exposed and decides to steal the painting back.

He enlists Ingrid, who is bored on the North Sea coast, and professional thief René Monjean. Martin Landesmann reluctantly provides half a million euros. During Bellinis at Harry’s Bar, General Ferrari briefs Gabriel on the Camorra takedown and reveals how Penelope Radcliff’s murder was ordered after she confronted Montefiore—who in turn was killed by the Camorra after trying to extort more money. Ferrari agrees to credit Radcliff for the Leonardo’s discovery. Ingrid and Monjean pull off the “inside job” with the complicity of Prokhorov’s girlfriend Yuliana, spending only half the funds and returning the rest to Gabriel.

With the fake safely destroyed and the attribution settled, Gabriel plunges into the restoration. His process mirrors Leonardo’s own vacillation: days of intense labor alternate with hours of immobile staring. Chiara gently assures Calvesi the work is nearly done. Dottoressa Saviano asks Gabriel to accept a new student of exceptional promise. He agrees and, after class, walks the boy home while the child’s rebellious twin sister leaps in rain puddles, having slipped her Carabinieri bodyguard.

Key Events

Gabriel insists on restoring the Leonardo in Venice and has it delivered to the airport.
He strips the old restoration and invites five top Leonardists, who unanimously confirm the painting is by Leonardo.
Camorra leaders are arrested throughout Europe; SBL PrivatBank fails and the Vatican loses hundreds of millions.
A lawsuit by Prokhorov’s ex-wife threatens to inventory his art collection and reveal the fake Leonardo.
Gabriel arranges for Ingrid and René Monjean to steal back the painting, funded by a reluctant Martin Landesmann.
General Ferrari explains the chain of events that led to Penelope Radcliff’s and Montefiore’s murders, and agrees to give Radcliff public credit.
Ingrid successfully retrieves the fake with the help of Prokhorov’s girlfriend, spending only half the allotted cash.
Gabriel wrestles with artistic paralysis during the restoration, while Chiara manages expectations.
A young boy of remarkable talent becomes Gabriel’s newest student; Gabriel walks him home and observes his twin sister playing.

Character Development

Gabriel asserts control over his working conditions but struggles with the psychological weight of restoring a Leonardo. His decisiveness in dealing with the Prokhorov threat contrasts with his creative stagnation at the easel. The closing scene with the young student reveals his mentorship and a brief reprieve from the pressure.
Chiara acts as a buffer between Gabriel and the outside world, handling communications and discreetly informing Calvesi that the restoration is nearing completion.
Ingrid proves resourceful and swift, executing the art theft with minimal cost and even returning the excess money, underscoring her strange sense of honor.
General Ferrari ties together the narrative of the murders, showing his willingness to shape official accounts to protect the broader operation.
Martin Landesmann initially refuses to fund the theft but, as in previous crises, ultimately provides the resources Gabriel needs.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

The Inside Job: The chapter literalizes the book’s title twice. First, Ingrid’s theft succeeds because Yuliana, a trusted girlfriend, betrays Prokhorov for no money. Second, the broader conspiracy was an inside job at the Vatican, with Montefiore and Cardinal Bertoli enabling the Camorra.
Artistic Paralysis and Perfectionism: Gabriel’s restoration habits mirror the “procrastinatory Leonardo” he once studied. His inability to declare the work finished reflects the immense pressure of an attribution that will be scrutinized worldwide.
Security and Ordinary Life: Despite the armed Carabinieri in the streets and guard boats on the canal, the Allon children still do schoolwork in the studio, eat gelato at Venchi, and—through the twin sister’s puddle-jumping—find normalcy. The contrast highlights the enduring human need for freedom under threat.
Layered Truths: The chapter negotiates which version of the truth becomes public. Ferrari will “leave the two murders unsolved” yet craft a story that credits Radcliff. Gabriel’s stripping of the painting forces the scholars to confront the raw, damaged surface, the honest state before restoration can impose a new layer.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 60 functions as the resolution of the conspiracy’s external threats and the emotional turning point for its protagonist. The Camorra, SBL Bank, and the fake Leonardo threads all reach closure, clearing the stage for Gabriel’s solitary confrontation with the masterpiece. By showing Gabriel’s creative paralysis, the chapter underscores that the deepest danger now lies not in assassins but in his own fear of failure. The introduction of the mysterious student—a boy of “exceptional artistic promise”—hints at the novel’s forward-looking themes of legacy and renewal. The title “Harry’s Bar,” where Ferrari delivers the official version of the murders, foregrounds the way stories are constructed and decisions are made over drinks in a city that itself is a palimpsest of truth and beauty.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Gabriel insist on showing the stripped painting to the Leonardists instead of a more presentable version?
Gabriel wants the scholars to examine the original brushwork with no varnish or retouching obscuring the damage. He believes that even a single dissenting opinion could kill the project, so transparency in the worst condition is the strongest foundation for an unassailable attribution.
How does Prokhorov’s ex-wife’s lawsuit force Gabriel’s hand, and why does he choose another “extrajudicial seizure”?
The lawsuit demands a full inventory of the oligarch’s art collection, which now includes a copy of the Leonardo that Gabriel sold him. If the fake is discovered, the entire scheme—and the Vatican’s involvement—would unravel. Gabriel cannot risk legal channels, so he calls on Ingrid and Monjean to make the painting disappear, just as he had previously stolen it from the Vatican to protect the real artwork.
What does Gabriel’s behavior during the restoration reveal about his character at this point in the novel?
His alternation between intense workdays and hours of staring shows a man paralyzed by the burden of his reputation and the historical weight of the painting. This loss of confidence is uncharacteristic for the usually decisive Gabriel, highlighting both his respect for Leonardo and his fear that his restoration will be judged by the entire art world. Chiara’s secret reassurance to Calvesi proves she understands that Gabriel needs to work through this crisis on his own terms.