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The Competition: A Da Vinci's Disciples Novel
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
5/5
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About this ebook
Donna Russo Morin returns with a follow-up to Portrait of a Conspiracy, called “a page-turner unlike any historical novel, weaving passion, adventure, artistic rebirth, and consequences of ambition,” by C.W. Gortner.
In a studiolo behind a church, six women gather to perform an act that is, at once, restorative, powerful, and illegal. They paint. Under the tutelage of Leonardo da Vinci, these six show talent and drive equal to that of any man, but in Renaissance Florence they must hide their skills, or risk the scorn of the city.
A commission to paint a fresco in Santo Spirito is announced and Florence’s countless artists each seek the fame and glory this lucrative job will provide. Viviana, a noblewoman freed from a terrible marriage and now free to pursue her artistic passions in secret, sees a potential life-altering opportunity for herself and her fellow female artists. The women first speak to Lorenzo de’ Medici himself, and finally, they submit a bid for the right to paint it. And they win.
But the church will not stand for women painting, especially not in a house of worship. The city is not ready to consider women in positions of power, and in Florence, artists wield tremendous power. Even the women themselves are hesitant; the attention they will bring upon themselves will disrupt their families, and could put them in physical danger.
All the while, Viviana grows closer to Sansone, her soldier lover, who is bringing her joy that she never knew with her deceased husband. And fellow-artist Isabetta has her own romantic life to distract her, sparked by Lorenzo himself. Power and passion collide in this sumptuous historical novel of shattering limitations, one brushstroke at a time.
In a studiolo behind a church, six women gather to perform an act that is, at once, restorative, powerful, and illegal. They paint. Under the tutelage of Leonardo da Vinci, these six show talent and drive equal to that of any man, but in Renaissance Florence they must hide their skills, or risk the scorn of the city.
A commission to paint a fresco in Santo Spirito is announced and Florence’s countless artists each seek the fame and glory this lucrative job will provide. Viviana, a noblewoman freed from a terrible marriage and now free to pursue her artistic passions in secret, sees a potential life-altering opportunity for herself and her fellow female artists. The women first speak to Lorenzo de’ Medici himself, and finally, they submit a bid for the right to paint it. And they win.
But the church will not stand for women painting, especially not in a house of worship. The city is not ready to consider women in positions of power, and in Florence, artists wield tremendous power. Even the women themselves are hesitant; the attention they will bring upon themselves will disrupt their families, and could put them in physical danger.
All the while, Viviana grows closer to Sansone, her soldier lover, who is bringing her joy that she never knew with her deceased husband. And fellow-artist Isabetta has her own romantic life to distract her, sparked by Lorenzo himself. Power and passion collide in this sumptuous historical novel of shattering limitations, one brushstroke at a time.
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Reviews for The Competition
Rating: 4.75 out of 5 stars
5/5
6 ratings3 reviews
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in Ms. Russo’s Da Vinci Disciples series so I was very much looking forward to this follow up volume. I wasn’t disappointed. It follows the group of women artists formed in the first book as they strengthen their bonds and actually go forth and bid on an art project in Florence. This might not sound so controversial to today’s world but in the time period of the Renaissance it was downright revolutionary. Women were supposed to stay home, produce babies and run their households.But Da Vinci’s Disciples – women who showed remarkable talent and are being tutored by that great master – are not content to stifle their art. They want the world to see it and so they decide to bid on an upcoming installation for a chapel. They get the begrudging permission of Lorenzo de Medici, who does not believe they have the talent or the ability and they submit their concept.It is chosen and soon the women are not just fighting a timeline but seemingly the bulk of the citizenry of Florence as they are appalled at lowly women doing such work. But not all are against them and they buckle down under the guidance of their master and some friends of his to get the job done.There are also some personal subplot going on for the women and for Leonardo during the course of the production of the fresco so that the reader is kept engaged not only in the creation of the artwork but in the politics of the time and the everyday goings on of well to do Florentines.I enjoyed this book as well as I did the first and while I believe it’s to be the completion of the series it does leave things open for further exploration so a reader can hope for continuation. The background details are such that I felt like I was back in Florence walking the streets and seeing the sights of that beautiful city. Of course it has changed mightily since the 15th century but some aspects are remarkably the same. The characters are unique and well drawn and in this volume there was even a pop up appearance by my favorite artist, Michelangelo. It is always encouraging to read a book when women triumph in a time when they were not considered to be more than well, art pieces or brood mares. Enjoy the book for what it is and celebrate the joy that art brings to the world.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book comes at a time, even more so than the first book Portrait of a Conspiracy, when the triumph of the female spirit needs to be heard. Women have made so much progress in the world (in my country, the U.S.), but recently, we have begun to feel subjugated once more. The very real progress women have made seems to be reverting back, or stagnating. It is stories such as this that can work to inspire women that the fight for equality is well worth it.
I always enjoy Russo Morin's books. She really knows how to tell a story while bringing vividly to life the real historical figures and events surrounding her characters. These women, these Da Vinci's Disciples, are the lifeblood of the story. Each woman is unique and even when brought together as a whole with the group, their individuality shines. I like to think that there really were women such as this. In fact, I'm quite sure there probably were. Perhaps they did not take on a large commission as depicted in the book, nor bid for commissions during that time period, but I like to think there was a hidden studio with women secretly working, defying society's strictures on women and what they were allowed to do.
Having Leonardo Da Vinci as an important supporting character works very well with these stories. Of what I've read on Da Vinci, I believe that he had very progressive attitudes. For him to be mentoring a group of women artists does not seem impossible to me. I love that the author used real quotes from him throughout the book. This one is my favorite and really captures the spirit of the book:
"I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death."
However, a quote from Viviana, the central and most endearing character, in my opinion, is what spoke to me the most. It is a personal motto of mine. "We all deserve to be loved, but our first love should always be for ourselves. Without self-love and self-respect, we show others how they may treat us."
And that is the crux of this story. These women believed in themselves, believed in their talent, enough to defy society's views of what women can and cannot do. It's an inspiring work of historical fiction that should not be missed.
I received this book free of charge from the author or publisher. - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in Ms. Russo’s Da Vinci Disciples series so I was very much looking forward to this follow up volume. I wasn’t disappointed. It follows the group of women artists formed in the first book as they strengthen their bonds and actually go forth and bid on an art project in Florence. This might not sound so controversial to today’s world but in the time period of the Renaissance it was downright revolutionary. Women were supposed to stay home, produce babies and run their households.But Da Vinci’s Disciples – women who showed remarkable talent and are being tutored by that great master – are not content to stifle their art. They want the world to see it and so they decide to bid on an upcoming installation for a chapel. They get the begrudging permission of Lorenzo de Medici, who does not believe they have the talent or the ability and they submit their concept.It is chosen and soon the women are not just fighting a timeline but seemingly the bulk of the citizenry of Florence as they are appalled at lowly women doing such work. But not all are against them and they buckle down under the guidance of their master and some friends of his to get the job done.There are also some personal subplot going on for the women and for Leonardo during the course of the production of the fresco so that the reader is kept engaged not only in the creation of the artwork but in the politics of the time and the everyday goings on of well to do Florentines.I enjoyed this book as well as I did the first and while I believe it’s to be the completion of the series it does leave things open for further exploration so a reader can hope for continuation. The background details are such that I felt like I was back in Florence walking the streets and seeing the sights of that beautiful city. Of course it has changed mightily since the 15th century but some aspects are remarkably the same. The characters are unique and well drawn and in this volume there was even a pop up appearance by my favorite artist, Michelangelo. It is always encouraging to read a book when women triumph in a time when they were not considered to be more than well, art pieces or brood mares. Enjoy the book for what it is and celebrate the joy that art brings to the world.