Historical

The Marriage Portrait

The Marriage Portrait

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  • Create Date：2022-08-23 10:17:44
  • Update Date：2025-09-23
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  • Author：Maggie O'Farrell
  • ISBN：B09S6F4MRK
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Summary

'I thought I had made myself clear。 I want something that conveys her majesty， her bloodline。 Do you understand？ She is no ordinary mortal。 Treat her thus。'

Florence， the 1560s。 Lucrezia， third daughter of Cosimo de' Medici， is free to wander the palazzo at will， wondering at its treasures and observing its clandestine workings。 But when her older sister dies on the eve of marriage to Alfonso d'Este， heir to the Duke of Ferrara， Modena and Reggio， Lucrezia is thrust unwittingly into the limelight: Alfonso is quick to request her hand in marriage， and her father to accept on her behalf。

Having barely left girlhood， Lucrezia must now make her way in a troubled court whose customs are opaque and where her arrival is not universally welcomed。 Perhaps most mystifying of all is her husband himself， Alfonso。 Is he the playful sophisticate he appears before their wedding， the aesthete happiest in the company of artists and musicians， or the ruthless politician before whom even his formidable sisters seem to tremble？

As Lucrezia sits in uncomfortable finery for the painting which is to preserve her image for centuries to come， one thing becomes worryingly clear。 In the court's eyes， she has one duty: to provide the heir who will shore up the future of the Ferrarese dynasty。 Until then， for all of her rank and nobility， her future hangs entirely in the balance。

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Reviews

Don ，

Releases 9/6/2022， I read an advanced reader copy。 O’Farrell， author of the award winning bestseller Hamnet， succeeds with another well written historical novel set in renaissance Italy。 This is the fictionalized story of Lucrezia de' Medici who was wed to Alfonso II， Duke of Ferrara， at age 13 （15 in the novel） after her older sister who was intended to marry him dies。 In less than one year she has died， presumably murdered， for not conceiving an heir。 In the after notes we learn that Al went o Releases 9/6/2022， I read an advanced reader copy。 O’Farrell， author of the award winning bestseller Hamnet， succeeds with another well written historical novel set in renaissance Italy。 This is the fictionalized story of Lucrezia de' Medici who was wed to Alfonso II， Duke of Ferrara， at age 13 （15 in the novel） after her older sister who was intended to marry him dies。 In less than one year she has died， presumably murdered， for not conceiving an heir。 In the after notes we learn that Al went one to marry twice more with no progeny。 Excellent writing， structure and character development， repeating the success of Hamnet。 。。。more

Linda ，

I won this book from Goodreads' giveaways， and had no special expectations since I hadn't yet read Hamnet， the well-received book from a few years ago。 This book， "The Marriage Portrait，" blew me away。 Seldom have I encountered an author like Maggie O'Farrell whose writing is stunningly beautiful - every single sentence。 I also enjoyed a book whose vocabulary was adult-like and occasionally even challenging。 Inserting a few bits of Italian provided even more atmosphere。 The story of Lucrezia di I won this book from Goodreads' giveaways， and had no special expectations since I hadn't yet read Hamnet， the well-received book from a few years ago。 This book， "The Marriage Portrait，" blew me away。 Seldom have I encountered an author like Maggie O'Farrell whose writing is stunningly beautiful - every single sentence。 I also enjoyed a book whose vocabulary was adult-like and occasionally even challenging。 Inserting a few bits of Italian provided even more atmosphere。 The story of Lucrezia di Cosimo de'Medici will always be a bit of a mystery since her death might have been because of illness， or maybe murder。 No one will ever know which makes O'Farrell's treatment of this final bit all the more intriguing。 O'Farrell provides a detailed background of daily life of a young woman， a noble woman at that， during the Renaissance。 Family relationships and the role of women are always an integral part of this story。 Above all is the understanding that a woman is valued a great deal for her ability to produce an heir。 Her other attributes including the ability to produce imaginative and very creative works of art just don't count。 Only fertility matters， even if her husband is sterile。 。。。more

Joanne ，

For the last few days I have been lost in renaissance Italy through the pages of this wonderful book。 The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell shows us the political machinations of the Italian aristocracy and Lucrezia， the young girl at the heart of it。 I was vaguely aware of Lucrezia from Robert Browning’s poem， My Last Duchess， which my daughter studied recently。 In the poem， Lucrezia’s husband ponders on his late wife and there are hints that he had her killed。 In this novel， we find out mu For the last few days I have been lost in renaissance Italy through the pages of this wonderful book。 The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell shows us the political machinations of the Italian aristocracy and Lucrezia， the young girl at the heart of it。 I was vaguely aware of Lucrezia from Robert Browning’s poem， My Last Duchess， which my daughter studied recently。 In the poem， Lucrezia’s husband ponders on his late wife and there are hints that he had her killed。 In this novel， we find out much more about Lucrezia and her marriage through the wonderful prose of Maggie O’FarrellThe world building in this novel is incredible。 Maggie O’Farrell brings Florence and Ferrara vibrantly to life。 You can easily visualise the colourful surroundings， the heat of Italy， the violence of the storms， the textures of the fabrics， sounds echoing through the palaces， even the smells emanating from the kitchens。 This attention to minute detail makes it easy to visualise the world Lucrezia inhabits。Lucrezia is a talented artist， painting miniatures of scenery， animals and people。 Often she paints over previous work， creating hidden layers of paintings。 In a similar way， there are many layers to the book， and many things about herself which Lucrezia must keep hidden away beneath a façade。 The story moves back and forward in Lucrezia’s life and builds up her story like the layers of a painting。 We see her as a young girl， as someone promised in marriage against her will， through the early days of her marriage to its final days。Maggie O’Farrell builds a clear picture of this young girl。 She is a possession， a political pawn， her marriage a convenient political alliance。 She has no agency， no say， no opinions allowed which are contrary to those of her husband who is shown to be a cold and cruel man。 She is utterly at the mercy of the men in her life。 And yet she is full of spirit and courage， not someone who will be easily disregarded or made to bend to her husband’s will。Maggie O’Farrell is an exceptional storyteller in my opinion and had me utterly gripped by her beautiful writing throughout The Marriage Portrait。 It may be partly about the marriage portrait which Alfonso commissions， but it’s equally a portrait of their marriage。 This is a stunning piece of historical fiction and easily earns a place in my top reads of this year。Do take time to read the fascinating author’s note at the end where Maggie O’Farrell talks about the facts she used in the novel and explains the variations from what is known about the real Lucrezia。 。。。more

Coconut Creek Book Club ❧ ，

Publication Date: September 2022

Irene Veney ，

90% of the books I read are audiobooks， and actually reading this book is a reminder of the sheer pleasure one can get from seeing gorgeously written words。 This novel of an historical figure， Lucrezia de' Medici， unfolds slowly and suspensefully。 We know the ending， yet O'Farrell makes our wait worth it as she builds up to a haunting completion。 It's brilliant。 And now I know I did Hamnet a disservice by listening to it， so that's my next print book。 O'Farrell is definitely a new favorite autho 90% of the books I read are audiobooks， and actually reading this book is a reminder of the sheer pleasure one can get from seeing gorgeously written words。 This novel of an historical figure， Lucrezia de' Medici， unfolds slowly and suspensefully。 We know the ending， yet O'Farrell makes our wait worth it as she builds up to a haunting completion。 It's brilliant。 And now I know I did Hamnet a disservice by listening to it， so that's my next print book。 O'Farrell is definitely a new favorite author！Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC。 。。。more

Ariel ，

Absolutely amazing historical fiction based on the true story of an aristocratic child bride， Lucrezia de Medici of Florence， married to the brutal Duke of Ferrara at 15， died a year later。 The author brings 16th century Italy to life and is just such a wonderful writer。 If you loved the Wolf Hall books by Hilary Mantel， you must not miss this one。 Thanks to PRH for the advance readers copy through NetGalley。

Keri ，

I received a copy from a Goodreads giveaway。This is a good historical fiction book about Lucrezia de Medici。 I like that O'Farrell includes a note at the end as to what is true and what has been fictionalized as well as the movement of timelines to keep the story fluid。The writing is very well done。 O'Farrell's descriptions are so vivid whether it be the scenery， or how Lucrezia poses for her portrait， etc。 The historical note at the beginning of the novel tells you how the story will end。 Norma I received a copy from a Goodreads giveaway。This is a good historical fiction book about Lucrezia de Medici。 I like that O'Farrell includes a note at the end as to what is true and what has been fictionalized as well as the movement of timelines to keep the story fluid。The writing is very well done。 O'Farrell's descriptions are so vivid whether it be the scenery， or how Lucrezia poses for her portrait， etc。 The historical note at the beginning of the novel tells you how the story will end。 Normally， I don't like spoilers but it did intrigue me。 I was wondering what O'Farrell was going to do with the end to make it her own since it is historical fiction and not nonfiction。 O'Farrell did not disappoint。 I thoroughly enjoyed the ending。My only negative remark regarding this novel is that at times the story was a bit slow。 Should it have been shortened？ Not sure。 。。。more

Marie ，

After hearing amazing things about Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet （historical fiction） and I Am， I Am， I Am （memoir）， I was super excited to dig into an advanced copy of The Marriage Portrait。 The writing is heavily-detailed with vivid sensory images， transporting the reader to Renaissance Italy。 However， character development is lackluster， and I struggle to care about what happens to our protagonist， sixteen-year-old Lucrezia de’Medici。 One way to describe this novel is fan fiction of Robert Browni After hearing amazing things about Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet （historical fiction） and I Am， I Am， I Am （memoir）， I was super excited to dig into an advanced copy of The Marriage Portrait。 The writing is heavily-detailed with vivid sensory images， transporting the reader to Renaissance Italy。 However， character development is lackluster， and I struggle to care about what happens to our protagonist， sixteen-year-old Lucrezia de’Medici。 One way to describe this novel is fan fiction of Robert Browning’s famous poem “My Last Duchess”—which is excerpted in the epigraph and establishes the tone for the story。 O’Farrell builds intrigue with a nonlinear storyline， slowly responding to the questions established in her first paragraph: will Lucrezia’s husband murder her？ how？ when？ At times， the fanciful imagining of this forgotten de’Medici is engrossing， but the writing feels simultaneously rushed and long-winded at just under 450 pages。 While it is not my personal taste， this book holds tightly to the conventions of historical fiction; many enthusiastic lovers of the genre （or Italian Renaissance vibes） would surely enjoy The Marriage Portrait。 Follow @marizzlereadsbooks for more NONtent 。。。more

Valarie ，

Lucrezia is the fourth child to her parents Eleanora and Cosimo。 She is different from her brothers and sisters， energetic， adventurous and prone to strange sicknesses。 At 15， she is married of to Alfonso， Duke of Ferrara。 This book alternates between Lucrezia's early life and her married life。 I really enjoyed the reading experience of this book。 The prose is just wonderful and flowing and you really feel the characters。 The story itself has a bit of mystery to it， but if you pay close attentio Lucrezia is the fourth child to her parents Eleanora and Cosimo。 She is different from her brothers and sisters， energetic， adventurous and prone to strange sicknesses。 At 15， she is married of to Alfonso， Duke of Ferrara。 This book alternates between Lucrezia's early life and her married life。 I really enjoyed the reading experience of this book。 The prose is just wonderful and flowing and you really feel the characters。 The story itself has a bit of mystery to it， but if you pay close attention you may be able to figure it out before the end。 There were some parts that were a bit slow and I found myself skimming just a bit。 I do love O'Farrell's prose， but sometimes it is too much。 My other complaint is that although the characters were amazingly fleshed out， I felt like the places weren't。 I couldn't get a good feel for the architecture and layout of the buildings。 These weren't central to the story， but it's something I like in a book where places are mentioned frequently。 This book also really shows how hard it was to be a woman in the 15oos。 There were no options， no choices and no autonomy。 It really was all about producing heirs and doing what you were told。 You really feel for Lucrezia and some of the secondary female characters like Alfonso's sisters and Lucrezia's maids。 That was partly the reason I wanted to smack Lucrezia sometimes for being so naive and saying the wrong things。 I was yelling at her in my head for not knowing better。 But she was 15 and growing up in a very different time so her actions made sense。 They were still infuriating though！Overall， this is a fantastic book and I'm sure it will be just as big a hit as Hamnet。 Definitely make time for this one！ Thanks @netgalley for the ARC！ 。。。more

Mairead Hearne （swirlandthread。com） ，

“I thought I had made myself clear。 I want something that conveys her majesty， her bloodline。 Do you understand？ She is no ordinary mortal。 Treat her thus。”The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’ Farrell will be published August 30th with Tinder Press and is described as ‘an unforgettable reimagining of the life of a young woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger。’The Marriage Portrait follows on from the incredibly successful and very much loved Hamnet by Maggie O’ Farrell， a b “I thought I had made myself clear。 I want something that conveys her majesty， her bloodline。 Do you understand？ She is no ordinary mortal。 Treat her thus。”The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’ Farrell will be published August 30th with Tinder Press and is described as ‘an unforgettable reimagining of the life of a young woman whose proximity to power places her in mortal danger。’The Marriage Portrait follows on from the incredibly successful and very much loved Hamnet by Maggie O’ Farrell， a book which was released in 2020。 Described as ‘a luminous portrait of a marriage， at its heart the loss of a beloved child'， Hamnet was lush， exquisite and a remarkable piece of literary fiction， so my expectations were set very high for this one。Set in the mid 1500s， The Marriage Portrait is the reimagining of the short life and times of Lucrezia， the third daughter of Cosimo de’ Medici and his Spanish wife Eleonora。 Growing up， Lucrezia was different from her siblings。 She was free-spirited and had a passion for nature， animals and the world around her。 She loved losing herself in her artwork and never looked beyond the present moment， until the day her older sister， Maria， died。 Unbeknownst to Lucrezia this was the day that would change the course of her young life in the most unimaginable way。Maria’s unexpected death caused the family much pain but， life had to move forward and political allegiances had to be established， so a decision was made。 Lucrezia， although only twelve years of age， was betrothed to her sister Maria’s intended husband， Alfonso II d’Este， heir to the Duke of Fererra， Modena and Reggio。 Lucrezia was horrified with this news。 How could her mother and father agree to such an arrangement？Maggie O’ Farrell excels at immersing her readers in another time and place and in The Marriage Portrait the sights and sounds of Florence are wonderfully depicted， providing a very strong visual of life there in the mid 16th century。 At the time there was a menagerie in the de Medici Palazzo and Maggie O’ Farrell creates a fantastical scene when Cosimo de’ Medici requests for a tiger to be added to his collection。‘The Grand Duke’s peculiar fancy for a tiger was communicated to an emissary， and then an ambassador， a sea captain， a silk merchant， an advisor to a sultan， a viceroy， a spice trader， an under-secretary in a maharajah palace， the maharajah’s cousin， the maharajah himself， his wife ， his son， then back to the under-secretary， and in to a band of soldiers， then the villagers in a remote part of Bengal。’When the tiger eventually does arrive Lucrezia feels a bond with this captive creature， this animal shackled down deep in the depths of her father’s palace。 It’s how she expects her life will be in the years to follow。Following the inevitable marriage， Alfonso is gentle and attentive with Lucrezia。 Aware of her youth and inexperience he allows her the time to adapt to married life away from the eyes of the court。 After his father dies， Alfonso steps into his role as Duke of Ferrera， marking Lucrezia as the Duchess of Ferrara。 Together they travel to his family’s Palazzo where a new life awaits them。 But there is trouble brewing and very quickly Lucrezia realises that her husband is not all that she initially imagined， soon fearing for her very own life。Maggie O’ Farrell recreates these fraught months with painful scenes that tear at your heart。 Lucrezia， away from her family， has little in the way of allies。 She tries to be the woman she is meant to be but the restrictions of court life and the erratic behaviour of her husband， cause her many sleepless nights。 She knows that she is not the perfect wife but the rebel inside her will not stay hidden。Alfonso orders a portrait to be made of her， one that will be like no other， where her beauty will transcend and where folk will be astounded by her regal and ethereal beauty。 He is very involved from the beginning insisting on her dress， her posture， the jewellery to be worn， every little detail。 His strive for perfection and his express desire to be correct at all times is noted by Lucrezia， adding to her concerns about him as a man， as her husband。A beautiful and creative soul with a sadness in her eyes， Lucrezia’s image was actually captured in a renowned painting that has been attributed to Bronzino。 Maggie O’ Farrell on seeing the image was immediately captivated by this “young girl with a dark-eyed gaze and a slightly troubled expression” and “knew the instant I saw her that I would write about her” reimagining her life in this fascinating and intriguing tale。Even though The Marriage Portrait is a fictional recreation， there is an authenticity to the characters， creating a real sense of truth throughout。 All that glitters was most definitely not gold for Lucrezia and her fear jumps off the pages as she becomes aware of the destiny that awaits her。 Whatever really happened to Lucrezia no one will ever truly know but， with this reimagining of her short life， Maggie O’ Farrell has captivated her essence and brought us an opulent， yet devastating， tale set against the backdrop of the Italian Renaissance。While both are historical fiction， I am slow to compare The Marriage Portrait to Hamnet because they are clearly very different reads。 Many of us have some connection with Shakespeare， through our education or from general interest， but how many of us are as familiar with this period of Renaissance Italy？The Marriage Portrait is an intriguing tale of lies and deceit， of greed and exploitation， of vengeance and defiance， of passion and of hate。 Maggie O’ Farrell writes beautifully， creating palatial scenes in grandiose surroundings with very vivid descriptions and captivating portrayals of time and place。 Very rich in detail， The Marriage Portrait is a compelling and provocative piece of historical fiction， one that will definitely lead most readers to further research。 。。。more

Claire Fuller ，

Another really enjoyable Maggie O'Farrell novel， due to be published in September 2022。 It starts with a historical note about fifteen-year-old Lucrezia di Cosimo de'Medici who married the Duke of Ferrara and died a year later。 There was a rumour that she'd been murdered by her husband。 Fascinating， yes？ This is her fictionalised story， and she's such a great character - strong-willed and artistic despite being brought up to be married off to whomever it best suited her father。 Even though from Another really enjoyable Maggie O'Farrell novel， due to be published in September 2022。 It starts with a historical note about fifteen-year-old Lucrezia di Cosimo de'Medici who married the Duke of Ferrara and died a year later。 There was a rumour that she'd been murdered by her husband。 Fascinating， yes？ This is her fictionalised story， and she's such a great character - strong-willed and artistic despite being brought up to be married off to whomever it best suited her father。 Even though from the historical note you 'know' her fate， there was great tension towards the end around what would actually happen to her。 Plus， the sense of place of all the great Italian palaces （some of which I know but only from the outside） really put me there at that time。 。。。more

Kerry ，

I won The Marriage Portrait in a Goodreads Giveaway and I really enjoyed it。 It is historical fiction about actual characters set in Italy during the 1550's and 60's and the descriptive writing is wonderful。 Lucrezia is 13 years old when she is promised to Alfonso， the Duke of Farrara， because her older sister， who was first promised to be his wife， died before they were wed。 Lucrezia continues to live with her family until she is 15。 The Duke is 10 years older than her。 Because Lucrezia does no I won The Marriage Portrait in a Goodreads Giveaway and I really enjoyed it。 It is historical fiction about actual characters set in Italy during the 1550's and 60's and the descriptive writing is wonderful。 Lucrezia is 13 years old when she is promised to Alfonso， the Duke of Farrara， because her older sister， who was first promised to be his wife， died before they were wed。 Lucrezia continues to live with her family until she is 15。 The Duke is 10 years older than her。 Because Lucrezia does not become pregnant in their first year of marriage， she is certain Alfonso is going to kill her。 。。。more

Kate Eminhizer ，

My opinion of Maggie O'Farrell's writing isn't among the majority。 While I read and enjoyed her previous book titled Hamnet I wasn't as wowed by it as so many others were。 With this new release I went in with an open mind as I will read ANYTHING about the Medici family and the Renaissance period。 The premise was appealing。 In the pages of this book readers learn about Lucrecia， the third daughter of the grand duke， and her life as she transitioned from the nursery to being a wife。 O'Farrell did My opinion of Maggie O'Farrell's writing isn't among the majority。 While I read and enjoyed her previous book titled Hamnet I wasn't as wowed by it as so many others were。 With this new release I went in with an open mind as I will read ANYTHING about the Medici family and the Renaissance period。 The premise was appealing。 In the pages of this book readers learn about Lucrecia， the third daughter of the grand duke， and her life as she transitioned from the nursery to being a wife。 O'Farrell did an excellent job of mapping out all of the characters and the dynamics of society at that time。 Both the surroundings and the clothing were sumptuously described for the readers。 I didn't care for the portrayal of Lucrecia。 She came off as a simpering child who did not have the ability to grow up and adapt。 So much of the time spent on Lucrecia was devoted to her wandering mind and it was difficult to get through。 I also felt that the timelines didn't appear to have enough differentiation between them。 If the reader doesn't pay attention to the time noted at the beginning of the chapter it can get confusing。 I received a copy of this title via NetGalley。 。。。more

Susan ，

How do you follow Hamnet？ Such an acclaimed book that touched a lot of people， Hamnet was never going to be an easy one to move on from。 I love Maggie O'Farrell's work， she is one of my favourite writers。 Her last three books， not just Hamnet， but I Am I Am I Am and This Be The Place all had a big emotional heft for me。 So it was with great interest and excitement that I picked up the Marriage Portrait。 O'Farrell has stuck with historical fiction and this is a large book， nearly 450 pages so the How do you follow Hamnet？ Such an acclaimed book that touched a lot of people， Hamnet was never going to be an easy one to move on from。 I love Maggie O'Farrell's work， she is one of my favourite writers。 Her last three books， not just Hamnet， but I Am I Am I Am and This Be The Place all had a big emotional heft for me。 So it was with great interest and excitement that I picked up the Marriage Portrait。 O'Farrell has stuck with historical fiction and this is a large book， nearly 450 pages so there's a lot of detail to pick up。 It's one of the things she does well， the sights， smells， touch of a place， and in this case sixteenth century Italy。 The Marriage Portrait is the imagined biography of Lucrezia di Cosimo de Medici d'Este， Duchess of Ferrara， and wife of the Duke of Ferrara who is widely considered to be the subject of Browning's poem My Last Duchess。 In this novel， Lucrezia is the youngest daughter of Cosimo and his wife， widely known as La Fecunda for her child bearing ability。 They live in Florence， rearing their children to rule or make good marriages to other rulers。 The book opens with Lucrezia， married and a Duchess， travelling away from her home to a small country estate of her husbands。 She is convinced he is going to kill her。 The action of the book flits between what this modern Lucrezia does in her terrifying situation and the history of how she got to be here。 Everything， from her conception and birth， to the death of her sister Maria who was supposed to be the Duke of Ferrara's wife， and her experience of modern life。 It is rich in detail， as I mentioned before， and it is also a book to be savoured。 I read it fast， and I also had to read the advance copy on an e reader which always spoils the enjoyment of reading for me。 However， I did feel that The Marriage Portrait lacked the emotional heft of her recent books， and I wasn't moved by the story。 When it comes down to it， perhaps I'm not judging it fairly: by anyone's standards， it's a good book。 But by the standards by which I've come to read Maggie O'Farrell， it's only ok。 Having said that， I finished it in the evening， went to bed and woke the next morning with flashes of scenes still in my mind。 As I said， she's so good at the detail work， it does paint a picture in your head。 Fittingly， in this case。 。。。more

Bonny ，

I'm not a big fan of historical fiction or Maggie O'Farrell's early books， but I loved The Marriage Portrait。 Like others， I wondered how it would compare to Hamnet， one of my favorite books in 2020， and I think I can safely say that The Marriage Portrait will be one of my 2022 favorites。 O'Farrell takes a little-known （to me） historical figure and Robert Browning's poem "The Last Duchess" and writes a book with evocative descriptions and interesting characters。 Lucrezia de' Medici was married a I'm not a big fan of historical fiction or Maggie O'Farrell's early books， but I loved The Marriage Portrait。 Like others， I wondered how it would compare to Hamnet， one of my favorite books in 2020， and I think I can safely say that The Marriage Portrait will be one of my 2022 favorites。 O'Farrell takes a little-known （to me） historical figure and Robert Browning's poem "The Last Duchess" and writes a book with evocative descriptions and interesting characters。 Lucrezia de' Medici was married at 15 to the Duke of Ferrara; this seems awfully young by today's standards， but her marriage was delayed several years through the clever plottings of her nursemaid， Sofia。 Eventually， Lucrezia is married to Alfonso d’Este， ruler of Ferrara， Modena， and Reggio， and she is left to determine whether her husband is the caring person he has presented himself as or whether he wants to kill her。 "Lucrezia stands there， in her travelling dress， in her fifteen year-old skin。 She feels as though these people desire to see right through her; they are like anatomists who peel back the hides of animals to peer inside， who unclothe muscle from skin and vein from bone， assessing and concluding and noting。 They， all of them， pulse with the craving， the need， to see a child growing within her， to know that an heir is secured for them。 They see her as the portal， the means to their family’s survival。 Lucrezia wants to fasten her cloak about herself， to hide her hands up her sleeves， to tie her cap to her head， to pull a veil over her face。 You shall not look at me， she wants to say， you shall not see into me。 I will not be yours。 How dare you assess me and find me lacking？"Even the cover adds its own layer of intrigue to this book， and I highly recommend The Marriage Portrait。 Thank you to Knopf and Edelweiss for providing me with a copy of this book。 。。。more

Mary Robinson ，

Very well crafted novel about the life of Lucrecia， who becomes the Duchess of Ferrara by marriage， after her older sister dies before her own wedding to the Duke。 Lucrezia is barely a teen， but the pressures of conceiving an heir play heavily into her marriage。 While her own impending death is known from the earliest pages， the author handily keeps the reader engaged until the very end of her one year with flashbacks and descriptions of the bride's early life and her travels from Florence to Fe Very well crafted novel about the life of Lucrecia， who becomes the Duchess of Ferrara by marriage， after her older sister dies before her own wedding to the Duke。 Lucrezia is barely a teen， but the pressures of conceiving an heir play heavily into her marriage。 While her own impending death is known from the earliest pages， the author handily keeps the reader engaged until the very end of her one year with flashbacks and descriptions of the bride's early life and her travels from Florence to Ferrara。 Highly recommend for fans of historical fiction。 。。。more

Lisad ，

I am not sure what it is about this story， but I could not put it down。 I loved O'Farrell's descriptions of that time， the fashion， the food， the architecture， the cultures。 The main character， a child growing into womanhood， was easy to care for。 The husband， whose full personality was unveiled over time， was complicated。 The politics of royal life， the importance of an heir， the limited options for women。 These issues were intricately woven and so well written。 No spoilers。。。 but the ending wa I am not sure what it is about this story， but I could not put it down。 I loved O'Farrell's descriptions of that time， the fashion， the food， the architecture， the cultures。 The main character， a child growing into womanhood， was easy to care for。 The husband， whose full personality was unveiled over time， was complicated。 The politics of royal life， the importance of an heir， the limited options for women。 These issues were intricately woven and so well written。 No spoilers。。。 but the ending was bittersweet。 I would recommend this to many readers。 。。。more

Books By Your Bedside ，

Thanks to NetGalley and Tinder Press for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I did find this a little harder to get into than say， Hamnet， but I think that’s probably because I had prior knowledge of Shakespeare his family and the inspiration for his play， Hamlet。 Whereas I had no prior knowledge for this one。 However， that doesn’t matter for long。 It quickly becomes more recognisable and it doesn’t really matter if you have any knowledge of these historical figures or Thanks to NetGalley and Tinder Press for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review。I did find this a little harder to get into than say， Hamnet， but I think that’s probably because I had prior knowledge of Shakespeare his family and the inspiration for his play， Hamlet。 Whereas I had no prior knowledge for this one。 However， that doesn’t matter for long。 It quickly becomes more recognisable and it doesn’t really matter if you have any knowledge of these historical figures or not。It is a bit convoluted at times， a bit busy and you begin to wonder whether it is all necessary。 You’ve got pages and pages describing things like a single carriage ride or an action that could have been explained in a couple of paragraphs instead goes on for a couple of pages。 There is a risk of the reader losing interest and feeling tempted to skip through。I did like the two time periods - one pre-marriage and one post - especially when Maggie drops things into the pre-marriage story that don’t seem particularly important and then you see what they mean post-marriage。I didn’t care much for the main character of Lucrezia。 I know she’s still a child and the way girls and women had to behave in this period was very different to not， but I found her to be quite irritating， a bit of a wet weekend。 It was like she couldn’t decide if she was going to be the meek mouse who obeys her husband or if she was going to be strong and stand up to him， she kept flitting between the two。 And considering we are meant to feel sympathetic for her and her situation， because she didn’t endear herself to me， it wasn’t easy to feel compassion for her and I wasn’t really bothered by what happened to her。I did get confused slightly at some point when something is give。 Quite a lot of page time， it is never really spoken about again。 Such as Lucrezia seeing a tiger for the first time。 This goes on for some time， but we never find out the point of it。 It is mentioned again near the end but again， to no conclusion。 I feel if something is going to have that much time dedicated to it， it needs to have some sort of affect on the storyline otherwise it seems a bit pointless。 And at over 440 pages， it stretches out a bit too long， resulting in a fair bit of padding。 I’m torn with this book。 I love Maggie O’Farrell’s stories and have got quite the collection going。 I think she is a master writer and storyteller and her love of history is clear to see， and she tells stories that I don’t think many authors would attempt。 But for all the positives about her as an author， and for all the hype this book has been getting， it fell short of what I’ve come to expect from her work sadly。 。。。more

Cat ，

Once I got into this book I couldn’t put it down…but it took me over a week to really get sucked in to it。 I really enjoy Maggie O’Farrell’s writing style…even though I felt like overall nothing really happened， it was 400+ beautiful pages of it。

Taylor Walworth ，

You shall be painted， and by a master， by the best of my court artists。 And if it turns out to be anything less than exquisite， I shall insist that it be done over and over again until it is perfect。So， the title， THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT， is interesting。It's interesting in part because， to imagine a portrait—especially in the context of the Italian Renaissance—is to imagine opulence and grandeur on a scale worthy of a royal court， of a museum or a gallery。 Sheer and essentially untouchable beauty。 You shall be painted， and by a master， by the best of my court artists。 And if it turns out to be anything less than exquisite， I shall insist that it be done over and over again until it is perfect。So， the title， THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT， is interesting。It's interesting in part because， to imagine a portrait—especially in the context of the Italian Renaissance—is to imagine opulence and grandeur on a scale worthy of a royal court， of a museum or a gallery。 Sheer and essentially untouchable beauty。 Perfection held at a remove。 Inaccessibility。 Few identifiable portraits of Lucrezia de' Medici， Duchess of Ferrara， have survived the ravages of time; one of them， allegedly the work of Bronzino， is featured on the cover of this book。 In it， a staid and dignified young woman， who appears older than the mere 16 years she was when she died， wears a decadent black dress and apprises you coldly across whole centuries。It's interesting because that portrait represents perfectly， as many inevitably do， how history has perceived Lucrezia， when it has deigned to perceive her at all: as an object。 A point of fixation。 The focus of our attention and admiration but nothing more。 A portrait is an object that exists solely to benefit and please others， and so is a woman。 A portrait is perfection， and so must a woman be。 So must Lucrezia be。It's interesting because， well， a portrait is rather limiting， isn't it？ It's a time capsule， a freeze frame。 A singular moment that we carve out of history， deem worthy of greater glory， and elevate。 But it's never the full story， and we know that women's stories are always the first to be forgotten。 It's interesting because what remains of Lucrezia's story is， primarily， also the story of her marriage: her betrothal to her dead sister's intended husband， and her eventual death， allegedly at his hands， for the simple 'crime' of not providing him with an heir。 How many women throughout human history have died as a result of a man's fixation on their child-bearing abilities？These are the historical parameters within which Maggie O'Farrell artlessly weaves her fiction。 As a writer， her attention to detail is unmatched; her ability to craft a potent sense of time and place， unparalleled。 But her character work is where she truly stuns。 A new Lucrezia practically leaps off of these pages: a vivacious and curious spirit， a dreamer， a tamer of tigers。 An artist and true visionary。 A significant portion of this novel is comprised of her musings and imaginings， adding substance and breadth not only to the plot but also to Lucrezia herself， reminding readers that this woman who we have previously only seen rendered two-dimensionally was probably， absolutely capable of creativity， wisdom， independent and well-reasoned thought。 Secondary characters are given their moments as well: the callous and desperate Alfonso， Duke of Ferrara; the cruel and conniving Il Baldassare; the devoted and loyal Emilia。 But Lucrezia is the beacon， the bright and brilliant light around which everything and everyone orbits。Don't misunderstand me: her story was desperately， inarguably， unfairly sad。 She spent much of her life a prisoner of sorts， first of her parents and then of her husband。 The final segments of this book， dealing with her last 'illness'， were rendered so beautifully， despite the tragedy of it all， that it's impossible not to feel some kind of grief for her and for what she might have been， had she been allowed to marry another （or not marry at all）。 Perhaps we could call her a victim of her time， if this particular form of violence against women， this silencing and erasure， didn't continue in some way to this very day。But in spite of all that， what O'Farrell has done here is painted a new portrait; she has finally given Lucrezia a voice of her own。 It is a true masterpiece。"Live a long life， and be happy，" the maid Sofia implores on the event of Lucrezia's marriage。Perhaps now， she finally can。Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book。 。。。more

Dain ，

Maggie O'Farrell is an author that has completely captivated me with her writing。 Having been enchanted by Hamnet， I was so excited to receive an ARC of her latest novel and it did not disappoint！ Filled with luxurious details and the author's magical use of language， the Italian Renaissance life of young， doomed Lucrezia de'Medici。 As a reader， I was completely transported into this world and time in a way that not many novels can do， especially historical fiction。 Many authors can write storie Maggie O'Farrell is an author that has completely captivated me with her writing。 Having been enchanted by Hamnet， I was so excited to receive an ARC of her latest novel and it did not disappoint！ Filled with luxurious details and the author's magical use of language， the Italian Renaissance life of young， doomed Lucrezia de'Medici。 As a reader， I was completely transported into this world and time in a way that not many novels can do， especially historical fiction。 Many authors can write stories about true events in history but Ms。 O'Farrell had a very particular style to the way she lays out the details and thoughts of her characters that demand you become inhabitants of their world。 The mundane becomes magical and the tragic becomes unbearable， such is the power of this author's writing。If you are a person who enjoys well written， out-of-the-ordinary historical fiction， you like to be fully immersed in your story & characters， and you like novels to make you FEEL something， definitely put The Marriage Portrait at the top of your TBR list！ Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC！ 。。。more

Susan ，

Maggie O'Farrell has a knack for taking tiny trivia and turning it into a fascinating historical fiction。Here we meet Lucrezia de' Medici， Duchess of Ferrara and member of the famous Medici family of Italy， who died of questionable circumstances shortly into her marriage。 From the beginning we know of her fate， but the pull of the novel is that you know how the story will end， its a matter of how the book will get you there。Both maddening and frightening， women didn't have many rights back in th Maggie O'Farrell has a knack for taking tiny trivia and turning it into a fascinating historical fiction。Here we meet Lucrezia de' Medici， Duchess of Ferrara and member of the famous Medici family of Italy， who died of questionable circumstances shortly into her marriage。 From the beginning we know of her fate， but the pull of the novel is that you know how the story will end， its a matter of how the book will get you there。Both maddening and frightening， women didn't have many rights back in the 16th century， a fact that persisted until modern times。 Women produced babies， were bartering chips in marriage， and essentially property to control。 O'Farrell paints Lucrezia as an average teenager with normal rebellion， questionings， and energy that get her into trouble。 I can't begin to imagine being a child bride and expected to be controlled like that in the most active years of being a teenager。The book begins well but does sad quite a bit。 Some days its was just hard for me to pick up as the action didnt propel the book very much in the early parts of the marriage。 However， if you give the book a chance， it is a quick read from just shy of mid-way。 Of course the authors note explains the choices O'Farrell made in the book， tying the book's facts and fiction together。 Enjoyable。 。。。more

Cassy ，

Who recommended this book to me: Inprint season 2022/23， plus interest in this author since debut

Jenn ，

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Marriage Portrait。Hamnet was one of my absolute favorite reads from 2021， so I was ecstatic to see that Maggie O'Farrell had a new novel coming out this year。 1550s， Italy， the de' Medici family。 Imagine being 15 years old， married off to a man you do not know， and sent to live in a different land， far away from your family。 Every time I read stories like this， I am reminded how lucky I am， as a woman， to have been born when I was。 In this imagi Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Marriage Portrait。Hamnet was one of my absolute favorite reads from 2021， so I was ecstatic to see that Maggie O'Farrell had a new novel coming out this year。 1550s， Italy， the de' Medici family。 Imagine being 15 years old， married off to a man you do not know， and sent to live in a different land， far away from your family。 Every time I read stories like this， I am reminded how lucky I am， as a woman， to have been born when I was。 In this imagined tale of Lucrezia de' Medici， （who， in reality， died tragically after 1 year of marriage at the age of 16 from tuberculosis） we meet a young girl， scared and convinced her husband is going to kill her。 In alternating flashback chapters， we see her grow up， raised to become a duchess， a wife， a mother。 We experience her fear of leaving home， her first moments of "freedom" as a wife， and the downward spiral of her marriage as her husband's true nature is shown。 I enjoyed this book and getting to know Lucrezia， although we spend a LOT of time alone with her thoughts。 While this usually bothers me， I didn't mind it here because it does well to emphasize how alone and isolated she really was。 We feel her desperation and fear， her knowledge that she has no power， and glimpses of hope and optimism。 I truly enjoy O'Farrell's writing， her ability to create such vivid descriptions， and The Marriage Portrait is no exception- tragically heartbreaking and beautifully written。 。。。more

Maddie ，

I've read two of O'Farrell's previous books: "I am， I am， I am，" and "Hamnet"， and loved both so when the arc for the Marriage Portrait became available on NetGalley I immediately requested it。 This book did not disappoint。 It was weird and beautiful and the historical details were spot on。 If you look back through my Goodreads you'll find that I'm a sucker for a story on an overlooked historical woman so this one definitely fits my tastes。Lucrezia Medici is the overlooked daughter of the Duke o I've read two of O'Farrell's previous books: "I am， I am， I am，" and "Hamnet"， and loved both so when the arc for the Marriage Portrait became available on NetGalley I immediately requested it。 This book did not disappoint。 It was weird and beautiful and the historical details were spot on。 If you look back through my Goodreads you'll find that I'm a sucker for a story on an overlooked historical woman so this one definitely fits my tastes。Lucrezia Medici is the overlooked daughter of the Duke of Florence， a difficult， precocious child she was allowed to roam free with very little adult supervision。 Or should I say parental supervision as Lucrezia found herself a second home in the kitchens。 Lucrezia is an imaginative child who from an early age shows a talent for art and is allowed to explore her talents since she is a third daughter and pretty insignificant。 However， that all changes when her older sister dies and Lucrezia is forced to marry her sister's fiance Alfonso， the Duke of Ferrara。 The marriage starts off seemingly okay but quickly takes a darker turn as Alfonso is prone to mood swings。 Lucrezia has only her maid for companionship as she's carted across Italy and forced to adjust to her new reality。 Obviously， things don't end well for the new duchess but there are some twists I didn't see coming。 Lucrezia is only sixteen but she comes across as much older probably since she has to deal with an unfortunate husband like Alfonso。I really like O'Farrell's distinctive writing style that combines lots of details and introspective character work。 If you've read Hamnet this book has a very similar writing style。 Again I like it but just a tidbit for future readers。 I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend for fans of historical fiction or fans of O'Farrell。I was provided a free copy of this book through NetGalley。 。。。more

Kelly Taylor ，

If Maggie O'Farrell could just write speculative narrative biographies of all major historical figures， my world would be made。 I'd know a lot more history， that's for certain。 I tore through this book and enjoyed every moment。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC they supplied through Goodreads Giveaways。 If Maggie O'Farrell could just write speculative narrative biographies of all major historical figures， my world would be made。 I'd know a lot more history， that's for certain。 I tore through this book and enjoyed every moment。 Thanks to the publisher for the ARC they supplied through Goodreads Giveaways。 。。。more

Scarlett ，

If I had a talent for description like Maggie O'Farrell does， you wouldn't be able to shut me up。 This book has so many memorable scenes that I felt I was standing by and watching this play out in front of me。 Honestly， I don't have another word for the experience of reading this except "dreamy"。 It felt like Shakespeare was singing me a lullaby， that's how well-written this is。 The choice of words and the pace of the story is top-tier art， in my opinion。 And the portrait on the cover is a true If I had a talent for description like Maggie O'Farrell does， you wouldn't be able to shut me up。 This book has so many memorable scenes that I felt I was standing by and watching this play out in front of me。 Honestly， I don't have another word for the experience of reading this except "dreamy"。 It felt like Shakespeare was singing me a lullaby， that's how well-written this is。 The choice of words and the pace of the story is top-tier art， in my opinion。 And the portrait on the cover is a true painting which makes me want to visit Florence right this moment to stare at it！The book is based on real people， but the story is fiction。 It didn't bother me， because the point of the story was not what happened exactly， but how this girl felt， what was she thinking， how I sympathised with her。 Basically， this 14-year old had an arranged marriage with a 10-year her senior， Duke of Ferrara and she had to leave her Florence home for the first time and bear children to this man。 If you read this， please know that you will love episodes of:- Lucrezia being conceived in the map room- a tiger brought to Florence- Lucrezia's wedding night- the process of portrait being paintedI enjoyed "Hamnet"， but this was so much better。 Needless to say， I will be buying the hardback edition of this！ 。。。more

Bookish Moonchild ，

"Death has come for her。 It is knocking at her door; it is sliding its fingers through the keyhole; it is searching for a way past the lock。"The Marriage Portrait is a historical reimagining of the brief life of Lucrezia de' Medici。 It takes inspiration from Robert Brownings poem titled My Last Duchess。 The writing was beautiful and entrancing though at times too wordy， in my opinion。 As much as I enjoyed its writing and was intrigued by the mystery around this young noblewoman's premature death "Death has come for her。 It is knocking at her door; it is sliding its fingers through the keyhole; it is searching for a way past the lock。"The Marriage Portrait is a historical reimagining of the brief life of Lucrezia de' Medici。 It takes inspiration from Robert Brownings poem titled My Last Duchess。 The writing was beautiful and entrancing though at times too wordy， in my opinion。 As much as I enjoyed its writing and was intrigued by the mystery around this young noblewoman's premature death ， I felt disappointed with the ending which I found it to be unrealistic and poorly plotted。 I would still recommend this book for fans of historical fiction who enjoy a lyrical character-driven story。 。。。more

LoneStarWords Deb Coco ，

Lucrezia feels…the rise of what she thinks of as her spirit -- the unfettered part of herself to which no one， not even she， has access。The Marriage PortraitMaggie O'Farrell•A huge thank you to @aaknopf for this early copy of The Marriage Portrait， a book I've been anticipating since Hamnet wowed me in 2020。•Maggie O'Farrell is a multi-faceted author。 She's written some of the best literary fiction out there and she also wrote a very unique memoir。 With Hamnet we saw her give voice to an unknown Lucrezia feels…the rise of what she thinks of as her spirit -- the unfettered part of herself to which no one， not even she， has access。The Marriage PortraitMaggie O'Farrell•A huge thank you to @aaknopf for this early copy of The Marriage Portrait， a book I've been anticipating since Hamnet wowed me in 2020。•Maggie O'Farrell is a multi-faceted author。 She's written some of the best literary fiction out there and she also wrote a very unique memoir。 With Hamnet we saw her give voice to an unknown woman from the pages of history。 First— this is not Hamnet; it has a very different feel。 I described Hamnet as having a fairy tale quality and TMP reads more like traditional historical fiction。 What is similar is O'Farrell's flair for drawing us into a particular period in history; her attention to detail， setting and a slow character build that allow us to get lost in another time in a way I've never experienced with other authors。•Of course we will never really know what went on in the minds and interactions of these characters from history， and so there is a suspension of disbelief。 For some who are passionate about history it can feel far-fetched， but I enjoyed the time travel to Renaissance Florence then went down a rabbit hole of research into the life of Lucrezia di Cosimo di'Medici。•At its core， The Marriage Portrait is the story of a very young Florentine royal who， having no agency for herself， is married off to the Duke of Ferrara。 The majority of the story is her attempt to adapt to her new life with a husband she cannot trust and who she believes wants her dead。 The Marriage Portrait is a slow drama with an omniscient POV and although it did have more plot than Hamnet， it still leans towards character study and we as readers must decide who we can trust。•The ending blew my mind and I had to go back and read it again to make sure I'd read it right。 And then I began devouring online articles because I do have an inherent desire to separate fact from fiction。 I can't wait to talk with other readers about TMP and I do see it as one of THE fall books of 2022。 And this cover！•The Marriage Portrait debuts 9/6！ 。。。more

Janet ，

Remember when a woman’s worth was defined by her ability to bear children…。so much so that even barely out of puberty she was expected to conceive？ The year was 2022…。no wait， the year was 1560。 I’m sorry I couldn’t resist。Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici married her dead sister’s betrothed when she was 15 years old。 （It would have been 13 if not for her wily nurse）。 At sixteen she too was dead and rumored to have been killed by her husband， Alfonso II， Duke of Ferrara presumably for the high crime Remember when a woman’s worth was defined by her ability to bear children…。so much so that even barely out of puberty she was expected to conceive？ The year was 2022…。no wait， the year was 1560。 I’m sorry I couldn’t resist。Lucrezia di Cosimo de’ Medici married her dead sister’s betrothed when she was 15 years old。 （It would have been 13 if not for her wily nurse）。 At sixteen she too was dead and rumored to have been killed by her husband， Alfonso II， Duke of Ferrara presumably for the high crime of not giving him an heir。 A little factual and poetic justice…。he goes on to remarry twice and never fathers a child。 This is that story with liberties taken of course。 O’Farrell elevates it to art as she does in all her work with her powers of imagination and description。 Historical fiction may be my favorite genre and so I fell on this with relish。 Having devoured and loved Hamnet， I knew I was in for a treat and I thank Knopf for an early look at this book。 Is it as good as Hamnet？ Ahh to be in that rarified place of esteemed writers whose work is measured against their last book， a MASTERPIECE。 Maybe not， but I enjoyed it more than 99% of what I read。 So much is bad these days， that I seldom finish a book anymore。 Maggie O’Farrell is an auto buy for me and I’ll be highly recommending The Marriage Portrait to all my friends。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Marriage Portrait

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Marriage Portrait&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Marriage Portrait&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0