Raphael, Painter in Rome Lib/E

Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling is one of the most iconic masterpieces of the Renaissance. Here, in Raphael, Painter in Rome, Storey tells of its creation as never before: through the eyes of Michelangelo's fiercest rival--the young, beautiful, brilliant painter of perfection, Raphael. Orphaned at age eleven, Raphael is determined to keep the deathbed promise he made to his father: become the greatest artist in history. But to be the best, he must beat the best, the legendary sculptor of the David, Michelangelo Buonarroti. When Pope Julius II calls both artists down to Rome, they are pitted against each other: Michelangelo painting the Sistine Ceiling, while Raphael decorates the pope's private apartments. As Raphael strives toward perfection in paint, he battles internal demons: his desperate ambition, crippling fear of imperfection, and unshakable loneliness. Along the way, he conspires with cardinals, scrambles through the ruins of ancient Rome, and falls in love with a baker's-daughter-turned-prostitute who becomes his muse. With its gorgeous writing, rich settings, endearing characters, and riveting plot, Raphael, Painter in Rome brings to vivid life these two Renaissance masters going head to head in the deadly halls of the Vatican.

About the Author :
Stephanie Storey is the author of Oil and Marble: a Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo, which the New York Times called "tremendously entertaining," has been translated into six languages, and is now in development as a feature film by Pioneer Pictures. She is also a television producer of shows like The Alec Baldwin Show on ABC, The Arsenio Hall Show on CBS, and Emmy-nominated The Writers' Room for the Sundance Channel. When not writing fiction or producing television, she can usually be found traveling the world with her husband-an actor and Emmy-winning comedy writer-in search of her next story. P. J. Ochlan, an Audie Award-nominated and multiple AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator, has recorded close to 200 audiobooks. His acting career spans more than thirty years and has included Broadway, the New York Shakespeare Festival (under Joseph Papp), critically acclaimed feature films, and regular roles in television series. Along the way, he's worked with countless icons, including Jodie Foster, Clint Eastwood, Robin Williams, Al Pacino, and Garry Marshall.

Review :

"As the plot thickens, intrigue and political machinations simmer, and the result is a rich and delicious portrayal of art and its creators and the forces that drive and often work against them."

"Narrating entirely in an Italian accent, P. J. Ochlan captures the youthful exuberance of the Renaissance artist Raphael as he tells his own story of how he painted the papal apartments in the Vatican."

"Storey makes the world of Renaissance Rome come alive and draws the reader into its constant intrigues...Above all, she has excellent insight into the Renaissance art world and the genius of these two great artists."