The Stolen Lady (#1,108) by Laura Morelli hops between Anne Guichard, a clerk/typist at the Louvre on the eve of the Nazi occupation of France, and the Italy of Leonardo da Vinci and the household of Lisa Gheradini del Giocondo, subject of his masterwork the Mona Lisa.
Anne swiftly becomes one of those charged with moving and concealing the art of the Louvre from the Nazis. Principal among these is La Joconde, which da Vince had brought with him to France. Over the course of the war, the art treasures are moved and re-hidden multiple times. That's an interesting story by itself. But equally interesting is the story by Morelli of how the iconic Mona Lisa came to be painted, and why it never became a family heirloom hidden away in an Italian palazzo.
It took me a while to get into the story, but once it got its hooks into me, I could hardly put this book down. Recommended.
No comments:
Post a Comment