Book Review- A Portrait in Shadow by Nicole Jarvis
Published May 2023 by Titan Books
Print length 432 pages
Fiction. Fantasy. Historical Fantasy. Magic.
A young woman arrives in Seventeenth Century Florence, fleeing her past and determined to be recognised as an artist. While Florence may seem familiar, this Florence is in a world where art is magic and where painters are healers and even saints. Here, Artemisia Gentileschi is immersed in the world of art. She is soon at the heart of Florentine culture, painting for the Medici family and befriending Galileo and Michelangelo the Younger. While some embrace her, others reject the idea that a woman can be an artist. With both the church and the Acccademia delle Arti della Magica (Academy of the Art of Magics) firm that women cannot be painters, Artemisia refuses to be limited and dismissed. As the darkness of her past is exposed, Artemisia must decide whether she will seek vengeance and dark powers, or rise to become the first great female artist of Florence.
While A Portrait in Shadow is a fantasy novel, it is deeply grounded in historical events. I admit, I wasn’t familiar with Artemisia Gentileschi and it wasn’t until reading the author’s note at the end that I realised that she was in fact a real artist. Since finishing the novel, I enjoyed reading about the historical Artemisia and looking at her incredible body of work. The Artemisia of this novel isn’t entirely true to history, but I enjoyed her journey to be recognised for her talent as an artist, despite the sexist beliefs that women were incapable of painting.
The fantasy aspects of the novel are fairly light. Painting is a magical act, generating healing for the person who has been tied to the canvas. Artists with particular magical talents attract griffins, magical creatures that feed off art and enhance the artist’s creativity. This magic has a dark side, too. Paintings can be used to curse and even kill. Such magic draws feared creatures called blood drakes and any artist found to have used this power is executed.
A Portrait in Shadow is a slower paced novel. It follows Artemisia’s daily life as she builds friendships, struggles with past trauma and battles to be accepted by the Accademia. Artemisia is a prickly character, convinced of her own talent and artistic genius. Sometimes she veers into arrogance and acts recklessly with terrible consequences. I enjoyed her passion and her unquestioning belief in her own artistic abilities and her right to be recognised as such, against the conventions of society.
Immersed in the world of Florentine artists, A Portrait in Shadow is a historical fantasy that is rich in colour, beauty and the power of art. A reader interested in art history, history in general or character driven novels will find an engaging story here. The author’s language is lush and detailed and her world painted as finely as the canvases of her characters. I look forward to more books by Jarvis.
For more information
Author’s website:
https://www.nicolejarvisbooks.com
Publisher’s website: