Summary

Chapter 19 is told from the perspective of the painting. The painting knows that Jesse is in love with Annie but Annie doesn't seem to be interested. The painting also thinks that Annie should explore the painting's history because humans need methods of classification and reassurance. Even though the painting has hung with very notable works of art, the artist never became that famous, possibly because he wasn't interested in courtly life and didn't have a very good art dealer. The painting knows that beauty has an intrinsic value and that most art investors buy it to be assumed creative or aesthetic. Beauty is a large part of assuaging loneliness for humans and so they gravitate toward art.

In Chapter 20, Rebecca locks the doors of her office and spreads the company ledgers on the floor of her office. She hopes to find evidence to...