Love, Fiercely
A Gilded Age Romance
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4.0 • 2 Ratings
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- $15.99
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- $15.99
Publisher Description
The true story of the New York society couple portrayed in the John Singer Sargent painting—an architect and an heiress who became passionate reformers.
Contemporaries of the Astors and Vanderbilts, they grew up together along the shores of bucolic Staten Island, linked by privilege—her grandparents built the world's fastest clipper ship, while his family owned most of Murray Hill. Theirs was a world filled with mansions, balls, summer homes, and extended European vacations. This fascinating biography re-creates the glittering world of Edith Minturn and Isaac Newton Phelps Stokes—and reveals how their love for each other was matched by their dedication to others.
Newton became a passionate preserver of New York history and published the finest collection of Manhattan maps and views in a six-volume series. Edith became the face of the age when Daniel Chester French sculpted her for Chicago's Columbian Exposition, a colossus intended to match the Statue of Liberty's grandeur. But beyond their life of prominence and prestige, Edith and Newton battled together on behalf of New York's poor and powerless—and through it all, sustained a strong-rooted marriage.
From the splendid cottages of the Berkshires to the salons of 1890s Paris, Love, Fiercely tells the real-life story behind Mr. and Mrs. I .N. Phelps Stokes—one of the Gilded Age's most famous works of art.
"With an impressive amount of research behind every page, Zimmerman manages to capture the sweeping drama of the turn of the century as well as the compelling story of a couple who knew how to love, fiercely. Her superb pacing and gripping narrative will appeal to all who enjoy history, biography, and real-life romance." —Library Journal
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In one of his most controversial paintings, John Singer Sargent captured the unconventionality of a young couple in simple street clothes that belie their wealthy Gilded Age roots. Zimmerman's (Manhattan) unsentimental depiction of vibrant Edith Minturn Stokes (nicknamed "Fiercely" by her brother) and the cerebral but original architect Newton Stokes showcases the major episodes in the lives of the couple, whose stilted courtship led to lifelong marital devotion that lasted through success, fame, and eventual impoverishment. The force of character that Sargent captured in his portrait of Edith was also embodied as the sculptural face of the 1893 Chicago Columbian Exposition's The Republic, making the young suffragist an icon of the era even as her husband designed greatly improved tenement housing for the poor and began the collection that would grow into his masterful six-volume iconography of Manhattan. More of an appreciation for lives well lived than a traditional romance, this biography offers insight into the wealthy during the increasingly progressive turn of the 20th century. 16 pages of b&w photos.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic snapshot of the Gilded Age
The cover is one of my favourite portraits in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, so much so that I bought a silk scarf with it imprinted on it. The book explores the history of estate ownership and the melded trees of two families with great influence in New York City. Once you see the far-reaching limbs and hear the names, learning that the characters inspired some of the most important buildings on Manhattan makes them feel like familiar acquaintances. Written to make sense, I find that I keep going back and rereading passages so I don’t miss any of the important information contained on each page.