Renaissance Art Fiction

Like many well-to-do Upper East Siders over the age of 65, esteemed art appraiser Percival Skinner had planned to spend his retirement living off his savings. But a market correction has left him living below his prior means. One day he’s visited by a dapper fixer in search of a famous work by a Renaissance master. Skinner knows the work well: The original was owned by his ancestor, and was passed down through his family over the generations. If, as an intermediary, he can coordinate a sale, a small fortune awaits. Problem is, he might not be the only one on the make.

Published to great acclaim in 1873, Walter Pater’s compendium of idiosyncratic, impressionistic essays on the Renaissance gained him a reputation as a daring modern philosopher. Oscar Wilde called it the “holy writ of beauty.” It was Pater’s cry of “art for art’s sake” that became the manifesto for the aesthetic movement. He believed that art should be sensual and that beauty should rank as the highest ideal. Marked by elegant fluency, Pater’s essays discuss Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and other artists who, for him, embodied the spirit of the Renaissance.

When a coffee-stained scholarship student collides with a brilliant doctoral candidate, their instant antipathy ignites more than just arguments—it awakens a four-century-old mystery. Dorian Blackwood has fought for everything—his scholarship to prestigious Thornfield University, his spot in the restoration program, his right to belong. The last thing he needs is Gabriel Rossi, with his perfect translations, Italian silk shirts, and insufferable assumption that money can buy expertise. Gabriel has spent his life hiding who he truly is behind family expectations and academic achievement....

A lyrical and bittersweet novel of a middle-aged man losing control of his life that's a brilliant study in emotional dislocation and renewal—from one of the most highly acclaimed authors of the twentieth century. Professor Godfrey St. Peter is a man in his fifties who has devoted his life to...

Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less, showcases his wit, sophistication, and deep knowledge of focaccia in this magical and madcap tale of a young man who takes an unspecified job with a charismatic elderly Baronessa at her crumbling villa in the Tuscan hills. A MOST...

A struggling artist. An elite commission. A city of shadows and secrets. In Renaissance Rome, Augustine faces his ultimate test. Talented but unknown, Augustine navigates the treacherous Artist's Quarters. A rare opportunity arises to secure a prestigious commission from Italy's elite. But in this world of thievery and gambling, every alley hides danger. As Augustine hones his craft and builds connections, each brushstroke brings him closer to his dreams—and to peril. Facing ruthless rivals and dangerous alliances, he must execute his artistic vision with both skill and cunning. Will his ...

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling is one of the most iconic masterpieces of the Renaissance. Here, in Raphael, Painter in Rome, Storey tells of its creation as never before: through the eyes of Michelangelo's fiercest rival - the young, beautiful, brilliant painter of perfection, Raphael. Orphaned at age 11, Raphael is determined to keep the deathbed promise he made to his father: become the greatest artist in history. But to be the best, he must beat the best, the legendary sculptor of the David, Michelangelo Buonarroti.

In Secrets of the Doge’s Daughter, noblewoman Caterina Foscari and agent Marco Vendramin uncover a deadly conspiracy that threatens Venice’s future—and ignites a forbidden passion. Amid betrayal and political intrigue, they must risk everything to protect their city—and their hearts—in a tale of love, loyalty, and dangerous secrets.

Two eras. Two loves. One canvas bridging time... Art student Lydia Irvine's year in Florence was supposed to mend her broken heart. Instead, it shatters her reality. Drawn to Titian's 'Venus of Urbino', Lydia slips through time, dreaming of life as Maria, the artist's secret muse. As she discovers a passionate affair that history forgot, Lydia's own love life intertwines with the past. But these are more than dreams, and delving into Titian's story, Lydia uncovers a mystery that spans the generations. As the lines between past and present blur, Lydia is trapped in a life-or-death struggle ...

You ever wonder how things really work in life. I never did, but the events of my life have led me without intending to, find out. As a child, I had dyslexia and all I ever wanted to do was write. After trying every possible method of overcoming it known to teachers and other professionals, I unintentionally stumbled upon the unconventional. My journey led me to Taoism and into a world that perhaps many know about but very few really understand or have had the opportunity to experience firsthand. In the beginning, the process was as uncertain as it was unexpected. Life has a way of taking ...

Stroke by stroke, color by color, the past comes alive as a young woman in Lombardy, Italy, trains to paint with the masters. Will her ambition be too much for them? Or will she secure her place in the world of Renaissance art, despite them? As Sofonisba struggles to make her name, the Spanish empire invades Italy. With Michelangelo as her mentor and her father as her champion, Sofonisba dreams of painting the Spanish king.

Enter the world of Renaissance Venice, where the competition for fame and fortune can mean life or death… Artists flock here, not just for wealth and fame, but for revolutionary color. Yet artist Giorgione “Zorzo” Barbarelli’s career hangs in the balance. Competition is fierce, and his...

A girl as beautiful as Simonetta Cattaneo never wants for marriage proposals in 15th-century Italy, but she jumps at the chance to marry Marco Vespucci. Marco is young, handsome, and well-educated. Not to mention he is one of the powerful Medici family's favored circle. Even before her marriage with Marco is set, Simonetta is swept up into Lorenzo and Giuliano de' Medici's glittering circle of politicians, poets, artists, and philosophers. The men of Florence - most notably the rakish Giuliano de' Medici - become enthralled with her beauty.

This is a new edition of Mark Twain's masterpiece, Huckleberry Finn, published by American Renaissance Books. The audiobook is narrated by Theo Holland, who brings to life the humor and drama of this timeless tale.

The 15th century saw the evolution of a distinct and powerfully influential European artistic culture. But what does the familiar phrase “Renaissance Art” actually refer to? Through engaging discussion of timeless works by artists such as Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo, Tom Nichols offers a masterpiece of his own as he explores the truly original and diverse character of the art of the Renaissance.

In The Merchant’s Mask, Sofia Contarini disguises herself as her late twin brother to protect her family’s legacy in Renaissance Venice—until disgraced knight Hugh de Vere uncovers her secret. Bound by mutual goals and forbidden attraction, they navigate treacherous politics, masked betrayals, and rising passion on a perilous quest for truth. As secrets unravel and danger draws near, Sofia and Hugh must decide if love is worth the risk—or if betrayal will break them both.

To continue Leela’s education, the Doctor promises to take her to the famous Morovanian Museum. But the Tardis lands instead in a quiet English village, where they meet the enigmatic collector Harcourt and his family. When people start to die, reality doesn’t appear quite what it was. There’s something sinister going on within the walls of Harcourt’s manor, and the stakes are higher than they can imagine.

The pathetic but perceptive Lewis Raycie is sent on a grand tour of Europe with instructions to collect great art. He returns with Italian paintings not yet recognized in America as Renaissance masterpieces.

In seventeenth-century Rome, an arrogant and reckless artist named Caravaggio drinks and brawls his way through his violent, insatiable life, all while painting some of the world’s greatest religious works of art. But it is his bitter feud with Giovanni Roero, a brutal knight in the Maltese Order of St. John, that is his fatal error. Now, in the village of Monte Piccolo, a priest claims to have discovered a lost painting by the famed artist in the storage room of an orphanage. Retired professor A. R. Richman believes it’s a delusional dream.

The story that inspired the famous Twilight Zone episode! "People Are Alike All Over" (which starred Roddy McDowall) became one of the most famous episodes of that classic television series. That memorable script was adapted from veteran science fiction author Paul W. Fairman's story for Fantastic Adventures magazine, where it was published under it's original title "Brothers Beyond the Void".