Mona Lisa
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
'Love does not need any comforting. It does not even need requiting. All it needs is itself.'
Florence, 1502. Marshal Louis de La Trémouille's small army has stopped off en route to Naples, to buy objects d'art for King Louis XII of France. Naturally, Leonardo da Vinci's workshop is on the shopping list; and during their visit to his house, the young nobleman de Bougainville chances upon the not-quite-finished Mona Lisa. He promptly, utterly and hopelessly falls in love with the woman in the painting, and is determined to find her - despite rumours that she has long ago died. A visit to an empty tomb, assault upon an Italian nobleman's mansion, duel and execution later, the secret of la Gioconda's smile is (possibly) revealed.
An entertaining story, told with style - about love, life, art, and the Quixotic things that a man will do to realise his dream.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This new translation of prolific Austrian writer Lernet-Holenia's brisk 1937 novella is a special treat for readers who appreciate his unique blend of comedy and philosophy. The young French nobleman Bougainville, while serving on a military campaign in 16th-century Italy, is an improbable guest at Leonardo da Vinci's workshop where he happens to catch a glimpse of the titular painting and falls deeply in love with its subject. The sight of the painting prompts Bougainville's investigation into the current whereabouts of the woman who posed for the painting, and despite hearing that she died of the plague more than a year before, he insists upon seeking her out, having convinced himself in the throes of passion that her husband has faked her death and locked her away as a prisoner. Lernet-Holenia's comical portrayal of da Vinci contributes to the novella's generally whimsical tone. The power of art to inspire love proves to be its true subject, as Bougainville's ultimately tragic quest demonstrates the lamentable difference between reality and mere representation. Lernet-Holenia's entertaining style pairs well with the fast-paced nature of his hero's journey, and readers will delight in following alongside Bougainville as he follows his outsized passion through to the bitter end.
