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The Birth of Venus (Dunant)
Encyclopedia
The Birth of Venus: A Novel is a 2003 novel
by Sarah Dunant
, a bestselling British
author
. The plot is one of passion, politics
, and danger. The story is set in the turbulent late 15th century in Florence
, Italy
. It features a young Florentine girl, Alessandra Cecchi, who is drawn to a young painter
commissioned to paint the family's chapel
walls. The painter is brought to her home by her father, a rich textile
merchant whose business would be negatively affected by the rise of Girolamo Savonarola
in Florence over the next few years. The book follows Alessandra's daily life closely, and is in fact told from the first-person perspective, as a memoir written by Alessandra late in her life. Her passion for painting and learning serve her well for herself, but not in the face of her family. Her mother, herself an intelligent and artistic woman, tries her hardest to shape Alessandra into a woman who will be desired by a successful and powerful man. Eventually, after Alessandra has met the painter, but before her feelings for him and his talent have made themselves known to her, her hateful brother Tomaso suggests strong but politically quiet Cristoforo Langella as a potential husband for her. The book takes a thrilling turn as Tomaso's intention and motive is revealed soon after Alessandra's marriage.
Meanwhile, her attraction to the painter grows, as does her affection for her wise and noble husband. Alessandra's observations of the political turbulence in Florence are eye-opening and quite possibly the most fascinating aspect of Dunant's story. Dunant brilliantly captures the personal conflict felt by Alessandra - she feels torn between Savonarola's powerful and fiery message and her own creative mind. She believes she knows what is right, but still hasn't decided what, exactly, she will do about it.
Alessandra realizes that her duty to her family and to her spouse cannot always take over her life, and soon, realizes her passions for the painter. Her romance with him is both controversial and necessary, as she is the only one who can save him from the abyss.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by Sarah Dunant
Sarah Dunant
Sarah Dunant is the author of many international bestsellers, most recently Sacred Hearts, the completion of her Italian historical trilogy....
, a bestselling British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. The plot is one of passion, politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, and danger. The story is set in the turbulent late 15th century in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It features a young Florentine girl, Alessandra Cecchi, who is drawn to a young painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
commissioned to paint the family's chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
walls. The painter is brought to her home by her father, a rich textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
merchant whose business would be negatively affected by the rise of Girolamo Savonarola
Girolamo Savonarola
Girolamo Savonarola was an Italian Dominican friar, Scholastic, and an influential contributor to the politics of Florence from 1494 until his execution in 1498. He was known for his book burning, destruction of what he considered immoral art, and what he thought the Renaissance—which began in his...
in Florence over the next few years. The book follows Alessandra's daily life closely, and is in fact told from the first-person perspective, as a memoir written by Alessandra late in her life. Her passion for painting and learning serve her well for herself, but not in the face of her family. Her mother, herself an intelligent and artistic woman, tries her hardest to shape Alessandra into a woman who will be desired by a successful and powerful man. Eventually, after Alessandra has met the painter, but before her feelings for him and his talent have made themselves known to her, her hateful brother Tomaso suggests strong but politically quiet Cristoforo Langella as a potential husband for her. The book takes a thrilling turn as Tomaso's intention and motive is revealed soon after Alessandra's marriage.
Meanwhile, her attraction to the painter grows, as does her affection for her wise and noble husband. Alessandra's observations of the political turbulence in Florence are eye-opening and quite possibly the most fascinating aspect of Dunant's story. Dunant brilliantly captures the personal conflict felt by Alessandra - she feels torn between Savonarola's powerful and fiery message and her own creative mind. She believes she knows what is right, but still hasn't decided what, exactly, she will do about it.
Alessandra realizes that her duty to her family and to her spouse cannot always take over her life, and soon, realizes her passions for the painter. Her romance with him is both controversial and necessary, as she is the only one who can save him from the abyss.
External links
- Review at Guardian.co.ukGuardian.co.ukguardian.co.uk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. Georgina Henry is the editor...
- Review at Independent.co.uk