{"product_id":"9781950994069","title":"Raphael, Painter in Rome : A Novel","description":"\u003cstrong\u003eRaphael, Painter in Rome\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor(s): Stephanie Storey\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAnother Fabulous Art History Thriller by the Bestselling Author of \u003ci\u003eOil and Marble\u003c\/i\u003e, Featuring the Master of Renaissance Perfection: Raphael!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling is one of the most iconic masterpieces of the Renaissance. Here, in \u003ci\u003eRaphael, Painter in Rome, \u003c\/i\u003eStorey tells of its creation as never before: through the eyes of Michelangelo’s fiercest rival—the young, beautiful, brilliant painter of perfection, Raphael. Orphaned at age eleven, Raphael is determined to keep the deathbed promise he made to his father: become the greatest artist in history. But to be the best, he must beat the best, the legendary sculptor of the \u003ci\u003eDavid\u003c\/i\u003e, Michelangelo Buonarroti. When Pope Julius II calls both artists down to Rome, they are pitted against each other: Michelangelo painting the Sistine Ceiling, while Raphael decorates the pope's private apartments. As Raphael strives toward perfection in paint, he battles internal demons: his desperate ambition, crippling fear of imperfection, and unshakable loneliness. Along the way, he conspires with cardinals, scrambles through the ruins of ancient Rome, and falls in love with a baker’s-daughter-turned-\u003cwbr\u003eprostitute who becomes his muse. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e With its gorgeous writing, rich settings, endearing characters, and riveting plot, \u003ci\u003eRaphael, Painter in Rome\u003c\/i\u003e brings to vivid life these two Renaissance masters going head to head in the deadly halls of the Vatican. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eReview(s):\u003cbr\u003e\"\u003cb\u003eAs the plot thickens, intrigue and political machinations simmer, and the result is a rich and delicious portrayal of art and its creators and the forces that drive and often work against them. \u003c\/b\u003eMore than 25 years of research in Italian Renaissance art deepens the story and renders it full of fascinating detail about people and process, while Storey’s painterly prose is also \u003cb\u003esure to delight art lovers and fans of historical fiction\u003c\/b\u003e.\" —Booklist\u003cbr\u003e “\u003cb\u003eStephanie Storey paints a warm, witty, mesmerizing portrait of the Renaissance’s most famous painters: the charming Raphael and the irascible Michelangelo, dueling for the title of greatest artist in Rome. \u003c\/b\u003eOnly one will win the ultimate commission of the Sistine Chapel, and Raphael is determined the ceiling will be his—but at what cost? \u003cb\u003eRAPHAEL: PAINTER IN ROME is a feast for the senses, every brush-stroke a delight.\u003c\/b\u003e” —Kate Quinn, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Huntress, The Alice Network\u003c\/i\u003e,\u003ci\u003eThe Empress of Rome Saga\u003c\/i\u003e,and \u003ci\u003eThe Borgia Chronicles\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “\u003cb\u003eStephanie Storey takes one of the most towering figures of the Renaissance and seats him across a tavern table from the reader. Raphael’s voice is as vibrant and colorful as one of his paintings, \u003c\/b\u003eand he positively leaps off the page and to life. Impeccably researched, this is an engaging and timely novel about the ways in which politics and art are and always have been intertwined.”—Alyssa Palombo, Author of \u003ci\u003eThe Violinist of Venice,\u003c\/i\u003e \u003ci\u003eThe Most Beautiful Woman in Florence, The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Borgia Confessions \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “A breathtaking portrait of a self-portrait. In it, the artist and his vision, drive, eccentricity, earthly loves and rivalries all come to life in brilliant color. \u003cb\u003eStorey captures the way art can be a tangled creature, born both deliberately and subconsciously from a slice of the artist’s life, and the swirl of history, politics, and magical moments.\u003c\/b\u003e” —Carmit Delman, author of \u003ci\u003eConsider the Feast\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBurnt Bread and Chutney\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “\u003cb\u003eA sumptuous, dazzling dive into the world of Italian Renaissance art through the eyes of one of its most celebrated artists. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003eRaphael, Painter in Rome\u003c\/i\u003e unfolds in unforgettable detail, with all the color and richness of the era: popes and princes, courtesans and cardinals, mystery and murder, ardor and art. \u003cb\u003eThe world of Raphael is one I wanted to linger in forever.”\u003c\/b\u003e —Crystal King, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Chef's Secret and Feast of Sorrow \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e “Stephanie Storey conjures the masters of the Italian Renaissance back to life in full vivid detail. This entertaining tale will steep readers in the scheming, the romance, and brilliant talents behind the creation of the Sistine Chapel. \u003cb\u003ePrepare to be charmed! Your Art History 101 class was never this suspenseful and fun\u003c\/b\u003e.”—Elise Hooper, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Other Alcott, Learning to See, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eFast Girls\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “\u003cb\u003eStephanie Storey’s gorgeous, unputdownable book \u003ci\u003eRaphael: Painter in Rome\u003c\/i\u003e illuminates the Renaissance and its storied artists in brilliant, page-turning prose. This novel will have readers laughing out loud and cheering for quirky, sweet, playful, unassuming Raphael \u003c\/b\u003ein his efforts to fulfill his boyhood promise at his father’s deathbed to be the greatest painter in history and, later, to win the pope’s favor over the brooding, talented artist Michelangelo. Storey’s is a novel of forbidden love, loss, faith, determination, carnage, beauty, and ultimately the ties that bind us all in the human condition. Raphael’s commitment to paint pictures that “bend the world toward beauty” even in the ugliest of days will leave readers with a keen interest in Renaissance art and the 16th century Vatican, and a love for this charming, endearing man, Raphael. Five stars!”—Michel Stone, author of \u003ci\u003eThe Iguana Tree\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eBorder Child\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “\u003cb\u003eAlong with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael Sanzio forms part of an unofficial “holy trinity” of Italian Renaissance artists. In Stephanie Storey’s new historical novel, \u003ci\u003eRaphael: Painter in Rome\u003c\/i\u003e, however, we experience Raphael not as a towering giant but rather as a lively, engaging friend\u003c\/b\u003e. Storey deftly weaves together extensive historical research on artistic, political, and religious events without it feeling heavy or didactic. Raphael’s first-person narrative and his interactions with the other characters—most of whom are important historical figures of Renaissance Italy—pulls the reader seamlessly through the story to a satisfying conclusion. You’ll want to have your internet connection ready so that you can look up each and every one of the beautiful works of art described in this engaging tale of ambition, rivalry, and ultimately, the power of art to transcend it all.”— Laura Morelli, PhD, art historian and author of \u003ci\u003eThe Painter’s Apprentice \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Gondola Maker\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"Storey makes the world of Renaissance Rome come alive\u003c\/b\u003e and draws the reader into its constant intrigues... Above all, she has excellent insight into the Renaissance art world and the genius of these two great artists, Raphael and Michelangelo, who were opposites in many ways—painting vs. sculpture, idealism vs. realism—and who disliked each other but also supported each other at crucial moments.\" —Historical Novels Review, Editor's Choice\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eISBN:  9781950994069\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Arcade","offers":[{"title":"Paperback \/ softback","offer_id":40590390362318,"sku":"9781950994069","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0600\/7029\/7806\/products\/O_d0ba1636-1228-4f71-9502-d113084a16bf.jpg?v=1646429018","url":"https:\/\/pickwickbookshop.com\/products\/9781950994069","provider":"Pickwick Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}