A Renaissance set historical romance about a gifted woman painter in an age that refuses to credit female artists, and the risky tour that could prove her worth. Immersive and tender, with a clean romance, art world rivalry, a marriage under pressure, and a fight for recognition.
"Fans of the Renaissance era will be carried away to a time of passion and art." -- InD'tale Magazine
Beyond the maestro's shadow, a woman claims the light. She paints for her children's future -- and for her own.
Florence, 1485. Fame beckons, but Renaissance Italy still denies a woman's signature. When Duchessa and Master Artist Celeste Gabriele learn that collectors won't buy a woman's work and her husband's jealousy grows, she accepts a perilous tour across Italy to prove her genius on grand stages.
With a powerful patron's contracts in hand, Celeste must dazzle nobles and churchmen from Venice to Rome while distance and the attentions of a compelling benefactor put great strain on her marriage. In crowded salons and candlelit studios, every unveiling invites rivals, gossip, and trials of faith before the greatest eyes of the age, perhaps even Leonardo's.
If she falters, she could lose her hard-won reputation, her children's future, and the love she refuses to surrender. Yet courage and craft may still outpaint prejudice and pride.
Delicate Brushstrokes continues The Master's Protégé Trilogy with immersive Renaissance Italy, art-world intrigue, and a tender, clean love story -- perfect for readers of Irving Stone, Tracy Chevalier, and Susan Vreeland.
"Author Eleanor Chance has lovingly penned an immersive and accurate work of historical fiction which also hits all the emotional buttons that fans of women's fiction, romantic dramas, and family sagas will adore." Readers' Favorites 5 Star Review
"Fighting against traditional gender roles in the art world! Badass women fighting for recognition and their genius in the renaissance." - Reedsy Discovery Review
Praise for The Master's Protégé Trilogy:
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Rich in detail and brilliantly executed!" -- Readers' Favorite Review
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Like the art of this era, the novel is a work of art that matches the style and drama of the work of Irving Stone, Tracy Chevalier, Susan Vreeland, and many others... As an artist, art enthusiast, and historian, I was fascinated by this story and loved the author's attention to detail that rivals my other favorite art historical fiction novelists." -- Readers' Favorite Review
★★★★★ "Well-researched and strong heroine!"
★★★★★ "I truly felt like I was visiting the bygone eras of Venice, Lucca, and Florence."
★★★★★ "The plot and characters are wonderfully created, as is the inner passion of an artist."
★★★★★ "The characters are exceptional, and the descriptions given by the author are breathtaking."
★★★★★ "A luscious story of women's acceptance into the historical world of men only."
★★★★★ "Reads like a really good Masterpiece Theater series on PBS."
★★★★★ "A modernized Renaissance love story."
★★★★★ "Amazing attention to detail for the times and historical aspects."
★★★★★ "A welcome relief in finding worthy, appropriate, clean historical romances."
★★★★★ "Equal to The Agony and the Ecstasy with a good grasp of how women were viewed at that time."