The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell received from Jonathan Ball Publishers, is a fictional tale based on the actual life and fate of a young girl from the house of De’Medici in the Republic of Florence in the mid-1500s.
With meticulous research and beautiful prose, O'Farrell vividly captures the struggles of the period in Italy, including politics, power dynamics, social hierarchy, inheritance, and class. She weaves a captivating story that may initially appear simple but which, in reality, is a multi-layered novel that exposes the oppressive patriarchal system of the time and highlights the Renaissance era and the significance of art in 16th-century royal Italy.
The Marriage Portrait follows the journey of Lucrezia de'Medici from her childhood to her marriage during her early teenage years. Growing up, she immerses herself in painting, receives a well-rounded education encompassing various languages, and explores her world within the family palazzo in Florence. Despite her talent and intellect, Lucrezia often feels isolated within her family and is overlooked due to her older sisters being considered more suitable matches for marriage. However, when the plan to marry an older sister to the future Duke of Ferrara fails, Lucrezia suddenly finds herself thrust into a different world of intrigue, restrictions, and bewildering rules.
Her new husband, Alfonso, is next in line to the dukedom. He is a mercurial man, consumed by his quest to maintain power, and his unpredictable mood swings and behaviour confuse his young bride, whom he also tends to keep in the dark. Lucrezia, determined and strong-willed, soon discover ways to uncover her husband's intricate political machinations and understand her own fate, which depends on producing an heir to secure the future of the Ferrara dynasty.
When a renowned artist is commissioned to paint Lucrezia's portrait, capturing her image for future generations, she forms a bond with one of the artist's assistants who might hold the key to saving her life.
Full of beauty and emotion and showcasing O'Farrell's exceptional storytelling, her latest novel transports readers to Renaissance Italy. Drawing inspiration from Robert Downing's famous poem "My Last Duchess", O'Farrell creates an extraordinary portrait of a resilient young woman's fight for survival.
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