The Painter of Souls

by Philip Kazan

Overview

An extraordinary story of passion, art, and intrigue, this novel journeys to a time and place in Italy where desire reigns supreme—and salvation is found in the strangest of places.

Beauty can be a gift—or a wicked temptation.

So it is for Filippo Lippi, growing up in Renaissance Florence. He has a talent—not only can he see the beauty in everything, he can capture it, paint it. But while beauty can seduce you and art can transport you—it cannot always feed you or protect you.

To survive, Pippo Lippi, orphan, street urchin, budding rogue, must first become Fra Filippo Lippi: Carmelite friar, man of God. His life will take him down two paths at once. He will become a gambler, a forger, a seducer of nuns; and at the same time he will be the greatest painter of his time, the teacher of Botticelli and the confidante of the Medicis.

So who is he really—lover, believer, father, teacher, artist? Is anything true except the paintings?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681771724
Publisher:	Pegasus Books
Publication date:	05/03/2016
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	272
File size:	558 KB

About the Author

Philip Kazan is a historian, a passionate cook, and a keen traveler. This is his first book to be published in America. He lives in England and blogs at www.philipkazan.wordpress.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Kazan’s ability to conjure the majesty and misery of the Renaissance in Florence makes The Painter of Souls one of my most cherished reads of the year. The Fra Lippi lovingly drawn by Kazan’s pen is as gorgeous as the subjects of the artist’s famous paintings."

The Times (London)

"Kazan conjures up Florence as a magnificent stew of street life: market sellers, beggars, gangs, petty criminals, pretty boys turning tricks in the shadows, all characters who, in the hands of the right painter, might light up church walls with their spontaneous flawed humanity. The process of creation is finely drawn, both the physical labor and the meditative concentration it induces. Kazan clearly loves Lippi’s work and this affection saturates his writing."

The New York Times

"A compelling story that takes place in a world that Kazan imbues with all the sights, sounds, and smells of fifteenth-century Florence."

Booklist

"Kazan has built a beautiful novel, lit from within by the luminosity of the art he describes. Kazan effectively draws the reader into the world of Renaissance Florence in all its glory and squalor. His main characters are believable and complex, and the language he uses is precise and luminous."

Historical Novel Society

Wonderfully textured, evocative novel...an irresistible feast of painting and quattrocento Italy, beautifully written and magnificently researched, it is sheer pleasure from start to finish.—Elizabeth Buchan, DAILY MAIL

Neatly done, every aspect serving to celebrate the transformative power of art and the crucial role played by Fillipo's worldly compassion.—GLASGOW HERALD

From the Publisher

A compelling story that takes place in a world that Kazan imbues with all the sights, sounds, and smells of fifteenth-century Florence.

Booklist

Kazan conjures up Florence as a magnificent stew of street life: market sellers, beggars, gangs, petty criminals, pretty boys turning tricks in the shadows, all characters who, in the hands of the right painter, might light up church walls with their spontaneous flawed humanity. The process of creation is finely drawn, both the physical labor and the meditative concentration it ­induces. Kazan clearly loves Lippi’s work and this affection saturates his writing.

The New York Times

Vivid period atmosphere, colourful personalities and stirring action

The Sunday Telegraph (London) [praise for 'Appetite']

Vivid period atmosphere, colourful personalities and stirring action

The Sunday Telegraph (praise for APPETITE)

A celebration of the senses: what Patrick Suskind'sPerfumedid for scents, this does for flavors. A love story that will also appeal to fans of Joanne Harris'Chocolat. An addictive page-turner.”

Red Magazine (praise for APPETITE)

Kazan's rich, sensuous prose is always a pleasure.

The Sunday Times (London) (praise for APPETITE)