The Painter [Paperback]

Will Davenport (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2003

In the tradition of possession and girl with a pearl earring, this suspenseful, erotic novel seamlessly weaves fact and fiction into a brilliant tapestry of love, art, deception, and danger--at the center of which lies a centuries-old secret…

The Painter

In an old manor house on the legendary river Hull, Amy Dale has discovered a journal that holds the account of a thrilling duel of seduction--and the key to a missing year in the life of a great artist. Over three hundred years ago, Rembrandt van Rijn challenged the poet Andrew Marvell for the affection of Amy’s ancestor Amelia Dahl. But the fierce competition between those two men for Amelia’s heart has repercussions for the new inhabitants of the manor.

Now, as Amy reads the pages of her namesake’s intimate diary and plans the restoration of the old house, she finds herself engaged in her own game of wit, seduction, and desire with a scarred and enigmatic laborer. As their attraction explodes in intensity, the secrets of the past escape from history into the present with consequences they could never expect...and may not survive.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Thrilling resonance between past and present, painting and people' Tony Parsons 'Exciting, grips the reader' Evening Press 'The excitement of a piece of lost art!on every level this is a tantalising idea! What a perfect fiction then to imagine some such masterpiece miraculously found again. Or even better still: to come across something that was always there but that had been covered up later by more crass hands. Science, detective work and art all working together. THE PAINTER by Will Davenport is that kind of story.' Sarah Dunant Praise for Silence and Shadows: 'In Silence and Shadows, James Long has invented a brand new genre ! the archaeological thriller' Tony Parsons 'one of the most unexpected and evocative thrillers in years' Daily Mail --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Inside Flap

In the tradition of possession and girl with a pearl earring, this suspenseful, erotic novel seamlessly weaves fact and fiction into a brilliant tapestry of love, art, deception, and danger--at the center of which lies a centuries-old secret?

The Painter

In an old manor house on the legendary river Hull, Amy Dale has discovered a journal that holds the account of a thrilling duel of seduction--and the key to a missing year in the life of a great artist. Over three hundred years ago, Rembrandt van Rijn challenged the poet Andrew Marvell for the affection of Amy?s ancestor Amelia Dahl. But the fierce competition between those two men for Amelia?s heart has repercussions for the new inhabitants of the manor.

Now, as Amy reads the pages of her namesake?s intimate diary and plans the restoration of the old house, she finds herself engaged in her own game of wit, seduction, and desire with a scarred and enigmatic laborer. As their attraction explodes in intensity, the secrets of the past escape from history into the present with consequences they could never expect...and may not survive.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (April 29, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553382063
• ISBN-13: 978-0553382068
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,218,922 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rembrandt's missing year is found!!, October 23, 2003

By 

annie "earthboundmisfit" (LEWISTOWN, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Painter (Paperback)

Did Rembrandt Van Rijn, while running from creditors, hide aboard a ship bound for Hull, England? Did Captain Dahl,in exchange for his passage, comission Rembrandt to paint a portrait of his wife, Amelia? Did Rembrandt and the poet Andrew Marvell engage in a contest to win the fair Amelia? Did Amy Dale discover her ancestor Amelia's long hidden journal that tells the tale of the portrait and Rembrandt's year in Hull? Did Amy set out to find the portrait with the help of an enigmatic, scarred loner who is not what he seems? If you like a weaving of past and present, history and fiction, love and suspense, this is the book for you. Enjoy!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars insightful historical novel, May 7, 2003

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Painter (Paperback)

In 1662, bankrupt fifty-six year old painter Rembrandt van Rijn flees his creditors though it means leaving his home. He accidentally stows away on a ship bound for Hull, England, but is caught by the angry captain. Through passenger Andrew Marvell, who speaks Dutch, Captain Dahl commissions the artist to paint portraits to pay for his passage as van Rijn proclaims he is bankrupt

Rembrandt hates painting the captain, but looks forward to working on the man's wife, the beautiful Amelia. However, Marvell challenges Rembrandt to a duel of tributes in which he will use the might of the pen with a poem dedicated to the lovely Amelia while Rembrandt will use the might of the brush with a portrait of the gorgeous woman. Amelia will declare the winner.

When THE PAINTER concentrates on an insightful historical novel, the story line is brilliantly conceived and does justice to the artist even when the clever Amelia manipulates the two artists to do her bidding. When the story line switches plot to 2001 focusing on an artist descendant of Dahl, it seems more like a paint by numbers that never quite holds up in comparison. In spite of the average twenty first-century subplot taking up half the book, the seventeenth century story makes Will Davenport's novel a winner.

Harriet Klausner

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Artful novel about a great painter and a deep mystery, December 21, 2003

By 

M.J. Rose "mjroseauthor" (Greenwich, Ct USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Painter (Paperback)

In the tradition of Possession by A.S. Byatt, and Vreeland's Girl in Hyacinth Blue - this novel travels from the present to the past and back again as a young artist and an old one both search for their souls.

Compelling, lovely novel. Davenport gets deep into the heart of a painter, understanding what moves an artist and how an artist sees.

Excellent book.