Sarah McPhee is professor of art and architectural history at Emory University, and author of Bernini and the Bell Towers: Architecture and Politics at the Vatican (Yale).
"Splendidly illustrated and erudite. . . . McPhee beautifully
interweaves personal history, art history, and the cultural history
of baroque Rome to spotlight Piccolomini’s biography and to
demonstrate why the power of her image and her story is worth
investigating. A highly impressive work of scholarship and a tour
de force of interest to art historians, scholars of the baroque
with a particular interest in women’s history, [that is
also] accessible to general readers."--Publisher's Weekly
(starred review)
*Publisher's Weekly *
"Enthralling. . . . McPhee's book is rich in historical detail, and
truly an original contribution that will be welcomed by scholars,
students, and general readers."—Elizabeth Cropper, Center for
Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art
*Elizabeth Cropper*
"A highly original work by an accomplished and enterprising
scholar, Bernini's Beloved offers a compelling, untold human story.
It shows us the lively 17th-century Roman art world from a
novel perspective, that of a woman. . . . It will be welcomed
by anyone interested in art, artists, gender, and the social
history of Rome during the flourishing of the baroque.."—Elizabeth
S. Cohen, York University
*Elizabeth Cohen*
"Bernini's Beloved will definitively change the way people look at
Bernini's portrait of a woman who turns out to be the descendant of
a Pope. . . Sarah McPhee argues that Bernini used his utmost
artistry to convey Costanza's divine dignity as a new Venus,
reconciling the background of this remarkable statue with its
evident value in artistry and materials. The whole picture, for the
first time, makes eminent sense."—Ingrid Rowland, University of
Notre Dame
*Ingrid Rowland*
“Splendidly illustrated and erudite . . . A highly impressive work
of scholarship and a tour de force.”—Publishers Weekly, starred
review
*Publishers Weekly*
“McPhee…builds up a detailed portrait of Costanza’s life against
the backdrop of Baroque Rome, offering along the way a fresh
perspective on Bernini’s life and work.”—Apollo Magazine
*Apollo Magazine*
“A scrupulously researched and sober biography of a remarkable
woman who was both muse and patron.”—Library Journal
*Library Journal*
“Bernini’s Beloved is a most valuable, enlightening addition to our
knowledge of the intriguing Costanza and her fascinating
Rome.”—Renaissance Quarterly
*Renaissance Quarterly*
“McPhee's book is a satisfying detective story, reclaiming the
context and evidence of events. Much new information informs this
meticulously researched and copiously documented tale.”—Choice
*Choice*
‘…a brilliantly researched biography of the woman who was mistress
not only of the greatest of all roman sculptors, Gian Lorenzo
Bernini, but also his younger brother Luigi. This extraordinary
biography recreates the life and passions of Renaissance Rome like
no other book I have ever read.’—William Dalrymple, Observer New
Review.
*Observer New Review*
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