As the pair sit down to dinner, OFarrell writes, it comes to her with peculiar clarity, as if some coloured glass has been put in front of her eyes, or perhaps removed from them, that he intends to kill her.. But in the end I still appreciate OFarrells writing and wound up liking the end. Lorissa Rineharts authoritative biography makes it clear why Dickey Chapelle, a courageous photojournalist and the first female war correspondent to be killed in combat, deserves wider recognition. Bronzinos Lucrezia is about the size of a hardback book, hung low down on a crowded wall, next to a fire extinguisher. There is a blinding power to the heightened, almost fetishistic beauty of Renaissance art, this novel suggests as it portrays a world of far greater brutality and fierceness. Wall Street Journal[OFarrell] has spun pure gold out of this tragic history . The text states that she leaves through the propped door, but Alphonso will never come after her because he thinks he killed her. His strive for perfection and his express desire to be correct at all times is noted by Lucrezia, adding to her concerns about him as a man, as her husband.A beautiful and creative soul with a sadness in her eyes, Lucrezias image was actually captured in a renowned painting that has been attributed to Bronzino. Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. Copyright 2023The Book Report, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Great review Mairead. | ISBN 9780593320631 What mesmerised me was the expression on her face: she looks anxious, her eyes filled with apprehension. It is now in the National Gallery, London, which bought it in 1927. Thank you xx. . The knife in a dark corridor? Much as she did with her moving, vivid Shakespeare tale, Hamnet, OFarrell takes the tiny bit we know about this historical figure and weaves it into a transportive journey. His hands about her throat? To reimagine and recreate my fictional versions of these long-dead Renaissance people, I peered at portraits on the website of the Uffizi Gallery. . The first days of the marriage bring Lucrezia an unexpected sense of freedom. Premium access for businesses and educational institutions. | ISBN 9780593315088, Sep 27, 2022 She comes to fear his best friend, the enigmatic Leonello Baldassare, and her only respite is a careful friendship with Maurizio and Jacopo, two young apprentices to the painter that Alfonso has commissioned to make her portrait. Maggie O Farrell writes beautifully, creating palatial scenes in grandiose surroundings with very vivid descriptions and captivating portrayals of time and place. The subject holds and points to a print of the Roman heroine Lucretia committing suicide. By imagining an alternative fate for Lucrezia that deviates from the historical record, the author crafts a captivating portrait of a woman attempting to free herself from a golden cage. By clicking "Sign Up", I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Penguin Random House's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use and understand that Penguin Random House collects certain categories of personal information for the purposes listed in that policy, discloses, sells, or shares certain personal information and retains personal information in accordance with the policy. But O'Farrell strips away familiar. Flavian and Onuphrius, Madonna and Child with Saint Roch and Saint Sebastian, Mystical Marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria with Niccol Bonghi, Madonna and Child with Saint Jerome and Saint Nicholas of Tolentino, Mystical Marriage of St Catherine and Saints, Madonna and Child with Saint Catherine and Saint James, Holy Family with Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Holy Family with the Family of St John the Baptist, Portrait of Giovanni Agostino della Torre and his son Niccol, Portrait of Giovanni della Volta with his Wife and Children, Portrait of Marsilio Cassotti and His Bride Faustina, Portrait of a Thirty-Seven-Year-Old Gentleman, Portrait of Brother Gregorio Belo of Vicenza, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Portrait_of_a_Woman_Inspired_by_Lucretia&oldid=1123859255, Collections of the National Gallery, London, Articles with Italian-language sources (it), Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 4.0, This page was last edited on 26 November 2022, at 02:31. OFarrell shines at instilling elegantly described scenes with human feeling, such as Lucrezias wedding preparations and her sense of inner strength while viewing the sunrise transform the sky at Alfonsos country villa. by Maggie O'Farrell, View all |By Author |By Genre |By Date . Start earning points for buying books! Fans of the accomplished Hamnet wont be disappointed by this formidable outing. Publishers Weekly [starred review] A compelling portrait of a young woman out of step with her times . I was, essentially, armchair travelling and it was a blissful balm during that time of restriction and sameness. The Marriage Portrait is a work of historical fiction by Maggie O'Farrell that tells the story of Lucrezia de' Medici's short marriage to Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble? Reviewed by Norah Piehl on September 16, 2022, The Marriage Portrait . She would have liked to turn in her saddle and ask, why have you brought me here? The author of Hamnet creates a fiery fictional life for Lucrezia de Medici, Duchess of Ferrara. With parents eager to strengthen ties to other noble Italian houses, Lucrezia's older sister Maria is betrothed to Alfonso, Duke of Ferrara. She is haunted by the specter of maternity, both that it may and may not come,. Almost nothing is known about her historically, but OFarrell brought her to vibrant life. Teenage Lucrezia is both an innocentsmall, frail, and fascinated by art and beautyand a wise-before-her-time witness to the pitfalls and emotional costs of royal life in 16th-century Italy. Having barely left girlhood behind, Lucrezia must now enter an unfamiliar court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed. O'Farrell has been widely praised for crafting poignant, perceptive depictions of life's unexpected turns. There are several glorious paintings of her mother, Eleanora, resplendent in ornate gowns, her beautiful ivory face impassive as she embraces one of her sons. "The Marriage Portrait" Maggie O'Farrell, Knopf, 352 pp., $28 Who was Lucrezia de' Medici and what drew you to telling her story? Not Sell My Personal Information. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. Not Ms. OFarrells best work. You will receive a Verify Email to complete process, #BookReview of #TheMarriagePortrait by Maggie, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), My Mini Book Reviews of a few of my Summer reads | #bookreview, #BookReview of #ALessonInMalice by @catherinekirwan @HachetteIre, #BookReview of #TheRachelIncident by Caroline O Donoghue, #BookReview of #TheMoonGate by @AmandaGeard, #BookReview of #ForgottenOnSunday by @valerieperrin_ | @EuropaEdUK, #BookReview of #ThePaperMan by Billy O Callaghan @billythescribe, #BookReview of #TheBeeSting by Paul Murray, #Extract from #TheBloodOfOthers by Graham Hurley | @Seasidepicture @AriesFiction. The official cause of death was given as putrid fever a catch-all diagnosis that could imply any number of diseases or conditions. The certainty that he means her to die is like a presence beside her, as if a dark-feathered bird of prey has alighted on the arm of her chair. The story of the young dutchess Lucrezia de Medici, I listened while walking the dogs, making dinner, and driving to work. The Marriage Portrait (2022) is Northern Irish writer Maggie O'Farrell's ninth novel and became an instant Sunday Times bestseller. Florence, the 1550s. The Marriage Portrait a book by Maggie O'Farrell - Bookshop The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell [Historical Fiction](2022) Alfonso d'Este solemnly entered Florence on 18 May 1558. As soon as travel restrictions were lifted, I got myself on a flight to Tuscany (an act which, at the time, involved more paperwork than when I bought my house). Is he the playful sophisticate he appeared to be before their wedding, the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians, or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble? So The Marriage . Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. T he Marriage Portrait is a 2022 historical novel by Maggie O'Farrell about Lucrezia, a young woman of the powerful Medici family in Renaissance Italy, and her marriage to Alfonso II, duke. 1 bestsellers. The Marriage Portrait is novel based on real events: the short life of sixteen-year-old Lucrezia de Medici, who may or may not have been murdered. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. Standard Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and expert opinion. And though this novel is literary, it is also masterfully paced. I hope you enjoy it. and other data for a number of reasons, such as keeping FT Sites reliable and secure, The Uffizi has a room dedicated to Lucrezias family: mostly painted by Bronzino, the portraits of the Medicis hang in a riot of coloured silk and glittering jewellery and sentient gazes on dark walls, almost as if they are suspended in space. Together they travel to his familys Palazzo where a new life awaits them. There are rivals for his position, and his gallantry is erased by his eagerness for an heir. But when her older sister dies on the eve of her wedding to the ruler of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio, Lucrezia is thrust into the . The Marriage Portrait of Lucrezia, Duchess of Ferrara-A Presence Malign . Books Based on Your Favorite Taylor Swift Era, Fiction by Arab and Arab American Authors, Celebrate Black Food with Toni Tipton Martin, Cook a Soul Food Holiday Meal With Rosie Mayes, Jul 11, 2023 "I fully expect that over the next few months, this unforgettable book will be the historical novel that everyone is reading and fervently discussing.". I cannot wait to read this one! Even as she travels through the countryside or arrives at Ferraras court, she is always observing, taking in the sights in exquisite detail: An elderly couple, arm in arm, stand by a vendor selling woven baskets, the man leaning towards his wife, speaking into her ear, as if explaining what is before them. Lucrezia sneaks away to visit the tiger alone, daringly reaching between the bars to touch its fur. . It is now in the National Gallery, London, which bought it in 1927. The Grand Dukes peculiar fancy for a tiger was communicated to an emissary, and then an ambassador, a sea captain, a silk merchant, an advisor to a sultan, a viceroy, a spice trader, an under-secretary in a maharajah palace, the maharajahs cousin, the maharajah himself, his wife , his son, then back to the under-secretary, and in to a band of soldiers, then the villagers in a remote part of Bengal.. Lucrezia de' Medici (1545-1561)work of art Created circa 1560 Artist Alessandro Allori Nationality Italian Birth/Death 1535-1607 Dimensions 32 1/2 x 24 3/4 inches (82.6 x 62.9 centimeters) Medium Oil on panel, Painting Credit Gift of Mrs. George Khuner Object Number G.64.35.4 Culture European Italian Classification Paintings Department The writing of this novel was entirely bookended by the pandemic and all its various lockdowns and lockins, anxieties and strangeness, homeschooling and circuitous walks around the local streets. . A tumble from a horse made to look like an accident? Portrait of a Woman Inspired by Lucretia is an oil-on-canvas portrait by the Italian Renaissance artist Lorenzo Lotto, created c. 1533. She and Alfonso have traveled from their palazzo in Ferrara to a remote fortress, where she is isolated from the court and even from her ladys maid, the loyal Emilia. Just before lockdown began in the spring of 2020, I came across a small oil painting of Lucrezia de Medici, attributed to the studio of Renaissance artist Agnolo Bronzino. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to wonder at its treasures, observe its clandestine workings, and devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. In THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT, O'Farrell imagines Lucrezia's childhood in the Florentine court, her love of animals and learning, along with her free spirit. The Marriage Portrait | Bookreporter.com Created by Grove Atlantic and Electric Literature, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window). He is very involved from the beginning insisting on her dress, her posture, the jewellery to be worn, every little detail. I steered myself around the streets of Florence and Ferrara via the internet. She is sixteen years old, not quite a year into her marriage. Lucrezia is written as a girl whose intellect and talents, particularly her skills in languages and art, are underappreciated by the society in which she lives. Fortezza, near Bondeno, 1561. Lucrezia quickly realizes that the longer it takes her to produce an heir, the more danger she is in. Lucrezias fingers grip the rim of her plate. Growing up, Lucrezia was different from her siblings. . Lucrezia is something of a thorn in her mothers side because, unlike her older sisters, who are biddable beauties dutifully preparing themselves for advantageous marriages, shes restless and strong-willed. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. I took a photograph of it next to an adult woman (me) for scale. At the table, facing the man she now suspects will kill her, she wishes she had done it, that she had urged her mare into a gallop. The Marriage Portrait Characters - eNotes.com Starred () titles indicate a book that is exceptional in its genre or category. . Truly loved it. To redeem, copy and paste the code during the checkout process. We are experiencing technical difficulties. Lucrezia, third daughter of the grand duke, is comfortable with her obscure place in the palazzo: free to devote herself to her own artistic pursuits. She was free-spirited and had a passion for nature, animals and the world around her. Fans of the accomplished Hamnet won't be disappointed by this formidable outing. Historical-fiction readers will love the cultural details, while Lucrezias plight speaks to modern themes of gaslighting and womens agency . The Marriage Portrait: A novel - Maggie O'Farrell - Google Books At one point last year, it seemed like everyone I knew, even those who dont normally search out historical fiction, was reading Maggie OFarrells Shakespeare-inspired novel, HAMNET. They include her ladies maid, the artist commissioned to paint that titular portrait, her new sisters-in-law, and Alfonso himself, who is portrayed initially as thoughtful and kind but whose cruelties and desperation become increasingly apparent --- and troubling --- as the narrative unfolds.