The Passion of Artemisia - Hardcover

Vreeland, Susan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0670894494 ISBN 13: 9780670894499

Publisher: Viking Adult, 2002

Synopsis

A sweeping novel, set against the beautiful backdrops of Rome, Florence, and Genoa, vibrantly recreates the life of Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the most extraordinary female painters in history, whose search for love, forgiveness, and wholeness through her art led to her fame as a painter and her induction into the prestigious Accademia dell'Arte. 100,000 first printing.

About this title

About the Author

Susan Vreeland is the author of the bestseller Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Her short fiction has appeared in journals such as The Missouri Review, New England Review, Calyx, and Alaska Quarterly Review.

Reviews

Vreeland follows up the success of Girl in Hyacinth Blue with another novel delving into the themes of art, history and the lives of women. Narrated in the wise, candid first-person voice of Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi (1593-1653), the novel tells the story of Gentileschi's life and career in Renaissance Italy. Publicly humiliated and scorned in Rome after her participation as defendant in a rape trial in which the accused is her painting teacher (and father's friend) Agostino Tassi, Artemisia accepts a hastily arranged marriage at the age of 18 to Pietro Stiatessi, an artist in Florence. Her marriage, while not a love match, proves at first to be affectionate, and the arrival of a daughter, Palmira, strengthens the bond with her husband. But rifts soon develop as Artemisia begins to have some success: she wins the patronage of the Medicis and is the first woman to be elected to the Accademia dell'Arte before her husband. Studio and home become the battlefields of Artemisia's life, and Vreeland chronicles 20 years of the painter's struggles while raising her daughter alone. Details and visuals abound in the book; readers who loved the painterly descriptions of Girl will be spellbound in particular by the scenes in which Artemisia is shown at work. While some threads in the story are frustratingly dropped and the narrative concludes before the end of Artemisia's life, the underlying themes of familial and artistic reconciliation are satisfyingly developed. Forthright and imaginative, Vreeland's deft recreation ably showcases art and life. Agent, Barbara Braun. (Jan. 14)Forecast: Fans of Girl in Hyacinth Blue will be pleased with The Passion of Artemisia, which reprises many of the themes of its predecessor. Published to coincide with an exhibition of the works of Gentileschi and her father in New York City and St. Louis, the book will also be promoted by Vreeland's 12-city author tour, and has been named Book Sense's #1 pick for January/February. Expect happy sales. Rights sold in Denmark, England, Finland and Germany.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Vreeland's popular novel The Girl in Hyacinth Blue (1999) traced a Vermeer painting through its various owners, and her follow-up is also a moving celebration of the power of art. Vreeland now gives us a fictionalized version of the life of Artemisia Gentileschi, known for her significant contributions to Renaissance art and also for the rape she suffered at the hands of her father's painting partner, Agostino Tassi. After a painful trial that holds far more humiliations and pain for Artemisia than for Agostino, the painter is convicted but released because he served eight months in jail during the trial. Artemisia asks her father to marry her off in order to escape Rome, and he marries her to Pietro Stiatessi, a painter who takes her to his home in Florence. Artemisia comes to love him, and the two have a daughter, Palmira, but Artemisia's superior talent and admission to an esteemed art academy drive a wedge between her and Pietro. Artemisia is a complex character who realizes that she has to make a choice between her life as an artist and her role as a wife and mother. Although the choice is difficult, Artemisia never wavers from her course, and Vreeland gives the reader insight into Artemisia's thoughts as she creates her masterpieces. The Passion of Artemisia offers a vivid portrait of a complex female artist who doggedly pursues her passion despite seemingly overwhelming obstacles. This accomplished novel should appeal particularly to those who enjoyed the author's previous book. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Vreeland's second novel (after The Girl in Hyacinth Blue) is fact-based fiction at its best, a stunning look at 16th-century painter Artemisia Gentileschi as seen through and interpreted with a 21st-century lens. Because she is the first woman admitted to the Accademia dell' Arte del Disegno in Florence, her story is filled with intrigue and drama. Betrayal, redemption, sexual violation, and jealousies all are woven into Vreeland's tale. While many of the social mores that limit Artemisia are rooted in the 1600s, her refusal to be stymied by misogynist sensibilities makes her a timeless heroine. Vreeland palpably captures Artemisia's joy as she blends colors and watches her artistic imaginings take shape. Whether creating a portrait or painting "Judith Slaying Holofernes," Artemisia's passion is evident. Although her final confrontation with her father, artist Orazio Gentileschi, feels forced, the novel brilliantly captures the life of an extraordinary artist. Released to coincide with an exhibit of Artemisia's and Orazio's works at New York's Metropolitan Museum, this book is highly recommended and essential reading for all art fans.
- Eleanor J. Bader, Brooklyn, NY
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Viking Adult
• Publication date: 2002
• ISBN 10: 0670894494
• ISBN 13: 9780670894499
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288