Review of Sarah Dunant's 'The Birth of Venus'

Summary: Alessandra Cecchi is a girl born during the Renaissance times, who is passionate about painting, not really a viable option for women in that era. When her father brings home a young painter to their house to decorate the chapel walls in the family's Florence Palazzo, she is drawn to him. But she is eventually married to a wealthy, older man.
Her story is in the foreground of Italy during the Renaissance times. There is the Medici family, patrons of the arts and learning. Challenging their power is the fundamentalist monk Savonarola. As life in Florence changes drastically, Alessandra once again has the opportunity to paint, and to love.

Review: I enjoyed reading this book. It vividly brought to life Florence during the Renaissance times. The historical framework was really exciting but it was the character of Alessandra that stayed with me. Rebellious by nature, drawn to life outside of her home and hearth, and a talented painter, it is difficult not to fall in love with her character. She chooses marriage to a wealthy, older man, only because it would help her escape life in a convent. She challenges conventions and stretches the limited options available to her, as a woman of that era.

She vocalizes her thoughts that there were no women artists during that time, because women did not have the access to learning, apprenticeships and the other opportunities that the men had, to improve their skills. Still, with her limited access to resources, she manages to paint. 

Her life becomes the foreground and in the background is the political turmoil in Florence. Questions of faith stem up as religion becomes a political tool (not much different from the state of the world today!) There are references to the beginning of dissection by artists to understand the inner working of the body, in order to reflect that in their work. This is of course a huge taboo. The other taboo is homosexual relationships, and the fate of the people accused is horrific.   

Overall, it is an engaging read, rich in detail but without being tedious. The history and personal lives of the characters intersect so that the personal becomes political and vica versa. I am excited to read the other books in Dunant's Italian Trilogy.