Painting Mona Lisa

Painting Mona Lisa explores mysteries surrounding da Vinci's famous portrait – why did Leonardo keep the Mona Lisa with him until his death?

An intricately woven tale of betrayal, love and loss, which unravels the mysteries surrounding da Vinci's most famous portrait.

April 26, 1478. Giuliano de Medici, brother of Lorenzo the Magnificent, the head of the powerful Florentine Medici family, is assassinated.

Ten years later, a young Lisa Gherardini listens to the story of Giuliano's death, unaware of the significance it holds for her future. Drawn into the Medici circle by her passion for the Arts, Lisa meets the Medici's most luminescent friend: da Vinci. Against the turbulent backdrop of Savonarola's Florence, the two become conspirators and eventually each other's saviours in this parallel love story of infinite twists.

Reviews

Praise for ‘The Borgia Bride’:

‘Love, lust, incest and murder: this historical romance has it all.’ The Mail on Sunday

'From sexual passion to mortal danger, the dramatic shift of real historical events will keep the reader turning the pages.' Philippa Gregory

'Corset-busting escapism.' The Sunday Times

About the author

Jeanne Kalogridis was born in Florida in 1954. She earned a BA in Russian and an MA in Linguistics from the University of South Florida and went on to teach English as a Second Language at the American University in Washington, D.C. She now lives with her husband on the West Coast of the US, sharing a house with two dogs. Her interests include yoga, Buddhism, languages, art, and reading everything ever published.