The Painted Room by Inger Christensen

The Painted Room is a magnificent three-part novel about the Italian Renaissance, and, specifically, the intrigue surrounding the frescoes that Andrea Mantegna (1431–1506) painted on the walls of the famous bridal chamber in the ducal palace of the Gonzagas. Prince Lodovico invites Mantegna to his palace to decorate the chamber, and the paintings are slowly completed. The portraits of the duke and his family look so peaceful—you would never guess that a murder had just taken place. The duke’s secretary records the progress in his gossip-laden diary, while the story of the prince’s daughter, the dwarf Nana, digs deeper into darker motivations, involving deceit, vendettas, an assassination, and the dalliances of Pope Pius II. Mantegna’s young son, Bernardino, helps complete the paintings and introduces a note of high fantasy into the narrative. What results is a beautiful yet startling picture of the Renaissance, as rich and colorful as the men and women depicted on the palace walls.