Customer Reviews

Love, the Painter's Wife and the Queen of Sheba

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This is an odd little book. It probably reads better - perhaps more poetically - in the original French, but this seems a decent translation. Sort of a third party stream of consciousness narrative, "Love, the Painter's Wife etc" deals with the evolution of the artist's creativity, the young queen's growing sense of purpose and mission, and the loss of a love. It attempts, with reasonable success, to depict Piero della Francesco's perceptions of his experiences of the world around him, and the process by which he translates his perceptions into art. It helps if you have access to photographs of Piero's frescos to refer to as you read. This is a very erudite presentation with musings on the great questions of life. It requires careful thought and sensitivity to nuance to appreciate.

You think you knew everything about the Queen of Sheba? Well, you were mistaken & if you read the book, you'll also learn a lot about Piero Della Francesca. OK, it's all apocriphal; so what? Aliette Armel, who's a historian, makes all the characters come alive & the book reads as a thriller, with 2 related stories entwining the Bible with the Italian Quattrocento. A real page turner! You won't let go!!!