Vocabulary in The Goldfinch

A style of painting or decoration so realistically detailed that it tricks the eye into seeing a flat surface as three-dimensional or real; here used to suggest illusion versus reality as a theme.

A type of still-life artwork, common in Dutch Golden Age painting, filled with symbols reminding the viewer that life is short and earthly pleasures are fleeting.

The documented history of ownership of a work of art or valuable object, used to verify its authenticity and legal title.

A person with deep expert knowledge and refined taste in a particular field, especially fine art or antiques.

A hard, glossy coating applied to furniture or decorative objects, associated here with fine antique pieces sold in a high-end shop.

Decorative woodwork in which pieces of differently coloured wood or other materials are inlaid into a surface to form patterns or pictures, typical of fine antique furniture.

Covered with a thin layer of gold or gold-coloured paint, used here to describe the ornate decoration on antique furniture and objects.

Gilded bronze or brass used to decorate fine furniture and clocks, particularly associated with eighteenth-century French craftsmanship.

A medicated lozenge on a stick containing morphine, used for pain relief; here it signals the world of prescription drug abuse the characters enter.

A brand-name prescription opioid painkiller that is highly addictive; in this text it represents the drug culture the protagonist falls into.

A brand-name prescription sedative used to treat anxiety; in this text it is one of the pills the characters abuse recreationally.

A craftsperson who repairs and returns damaged or deteriorated antique furniture and objects to their original condition, which becomes the protagonist's trade.

The padded fabric covering on furniture such as chairs and sofas; here it refers to the materials and craft involved in restoring antique pieces.

A thin decorative layer of fine wood glued over a cheaper base; in this text it also carries the sense of a deceptive surface hiding something inferior underneath.

A fake copy of a valuable artwork or document made with the intent to deceive buyers or authorities into thinking it is genuine.

A person who knowingly buys and resells stolen goods, acting as a middleman between thieves and buyers; used in this sense in the criminal plot.

Something altered or reused but still bearing visible traces of its earlier form; here used to suggest how the past remains layered beneath the present.

Uprooted from one's home, culture, or social environment, left without a stable sense of belonging; describes the protagonist's condition after losing his mother.

Moving from place to place without a fixed home; used to describe the unsettled, drifting life the protagonist leads across different households and cities.

Custom-made to a specific person's requirements, especially clothing or furniture; used here to signal the world of expensive, tailored luxury the wealthy characters inhabit.

A building employee in an upscale apartment block who manages residents' requests and controls entry; signals the privileged Park Avenue world the protagonist enters.

Elegantly and carefully groomed or dressed; used to describe the polished, well-maintained appearance of wealthy characters or their surroundings.

An Arabic phrase meaning 'marvel of the age' or 'full moon of the time,' used as a title of honour; here it names a chapter and suggests themes of wonder and fate.

The seventeenth-century period of great wealth and cultural achievement in the Netherlands, which produced the school of painting — including the original Goldfinch — central to this novel.

Brilliant, dazzling effect or conspicuous success; used to describe the striking social impression made by certain wealthy or glamorous characters.