Killer Art - Mystery Author Patricia Cornwell Donates Sickert Works

American mystery author Patrica Cornwell's 2002 non-fiction book "Portrait of a Killer" proposed to prove Walter Sickert was the Victorian serial killer,"Jack the Ripper.

Ms. Cornwell maintained that the 19th century British Impressionist artist was the infamous killer and proposed to use modern DNA testing to prove her theory. To that end, she collected dozens of pieces of his work.

The 82 pieces, which she donated to Harvard's Fogg Museum in Cambridge, include 24 paintings, 36 prints, and 22 drawings. Asked by Art Newspaper why she was making the donation, Cornwell replied,"I wished the public to have access to them, and I wanted it to be a gallery where scientific examination of the Sickerts can continue."

Patricia Cornwell is best known for her fictional works, especially the series of mystery novels featuring medical examiner Kay Sparpetta. Cornwell's most recent novel is At Risk, published in April. Cornwell is currently working on a follow-up to Portrait of a Killer.