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Raphael, Painter in Rome: A Novel Paperback – September 21, 2021

by Stephanie Storey (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,157 ratings
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Another Fabulous Art History Thriller by the Bestselling Author of Oil and Marble, Featuring the Master of Renaissance Perfection: Raphael!

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. 
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  1. Print length
    408 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Arcade
  4. Publication date
    September 21, 2021
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1.2 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1950994066
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1950994069
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

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. More than 25 years of research in Italian Renaissance art deepens the story and renders it full of fascinating detail about people and process, while Storey’s painterly prose is also sure to delight art lovers and fans of historical fiction." —Booklist
“Stephanie Storey paints a warm, witty, mesmerizing portrait of the Renaissance’s most famous painters: the charming Raphael and the irascible Michelangelo, dueling for the title of greatest artist in Rome. Only one will win the ultimate commission of the Sistine Chapel, and Raphael is determined the ceiling will be his—but at what cost? RAPHAEL: PAINTER IN ROME is a feast for the senses, every brush-stroke a delight.” —Kate Quinn, author of The Huntress, The Alice Network,The Empress of Rome Saga,and The Borgia Chronicles
 
“Stephanie Storey takes one of the most towering figures of the Renaissance and seats him across a tavern table from the reader. Raphael’s voice is as vibrant and colorful as one of his paintings, and he positively leaps off the page and to life. Impeccably researched, this is an engaging and timely novel about the ways in which politics and art are and always have been intertwined.”—Alyssa Palombo, Author of The Violinist of Venice, The Most Beautiful Woman in Florence, The Spellbook of Katrina Van Tassel, and The Borgia Confessions 
 
“A breathtaking portrait of a self-portrait. In it, the artist and his vision, drive, eccentricity, earthly loves and rivalries all come to life in brilliant color. Storey captures the way art can be a tangled creature, born both deliberately and subconsciously from a slice of the artist’s life, and the swirl of history, politics, and magical moments.” —Carmit Delman, author of Consider the Feast and Burnt Bread and Chutney
 
“A sumptuous, dazzling dive into the world of Italian Renaissance art through the eyes of one of its most celebrated artists. Raphael, Painter in Rome unfolds in unforgettable detail, with all the color and richness of the era: popes and princes, courtesans and cardinals, mystery and murder, ardor and art. The world of Raphael is one I wanted to linger in forever.” —Crystal King, author of The Chef's Secret and Feast of Sorrow 
 
“Stephanie Storey conjures the masters of the Italian Renaissance back to life in full vivid detail. This entertaining tale will steep readers in the scheming, the romance, and brilliant talents behind the creation of the Sistine Chapel. Prepare to be charmed! Your Art History 101 class was never this suspenseful and fun.”—Elise Hooper, author of The Other Alcott, Learning to See, and Fast Girls

“Stephanie Storey’s gorgeous, unputdownable book Raphael: Painter in Rome illuminates the Renaissance and its storied artists in brilliant, page-turning prose. This novel will have readers laughing out loud and cheering for quirky, sweet, playful, unassuming Raphael in his efforts to fulfill his boyhood promise at his father’s deathbed to be the greatest painter in history and, later, to win the pope’s favor over the brooding, talented artist Michelangelo. Storey’s is a novel of forbidden love, loss, faith, determination, carnage, beauty, and ultimately the ties that bind us all in the human condition. Raphael’s commitment to paint pictures that “bend the world toward beauty” even in the ugliest of days will leave readers with a keen interest in Renaissance art and the 16th century Vatican, and a love for this charming, endearing man, Raphael. Five stars!”—Michel Stone, author of The Iguana Tree and Border Child

“Along with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael Sanzio forms part of an unofficial “holy trinity” of Italian Renaissance artists. In Stephanie Storey’s new historical novel, Raphael: Painter in Rome, however, we experience Raphael not as a towering giant but rather as a lively, engaging friend. Storey deftly weaves together extensive historical research on artistic, political, and religious events without it feeling heavy or didactic. Raphael’s first-person narrative and his interactions with the other characters—most of whom are important historical figures of Renaissance Italy—pulls the reader seamlessly through the story to a satisfying conclusion. You’ll want to have your internet connection ready so that you can look up each and every one of the beautiful works of art described in this engaging tale of ambition, rivalry, and ultimately, the power of art to transcend it all.”— Laura Morelli, PhD, art historian and author of The Painter’s Apprentice and The Gondola Maker

"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, Raphael and Michelangelo, who were opposites in many ways—painting vs. sculpture, idealism vs. realism—and who disliked each other but also supported each other at crucial moments." —Historical Novels Review, Editor's Choice

About the Author

Stephanie Storey is the author of the stunning debut, Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo. It has been translated into six languages and is in development as a feature film by Pioneer Pictures. Storey is also a TV producer of The Alec Baldwin Show on ABC, The Arsenio Hall Show on CBS, and the Emmy-nominated The Writers’ Room for Sundance. 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.
 

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Arcade; Reprint edition (September 21, 2021)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 408 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1950994066
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1950994069
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.2 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 1,157 ratings

About the author

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Stephanie Storey

Stephanie Storey

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Stephanie Storey is the author of "Raphael, Painter in Rome" and "Oil and Marble: a Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo," which The New York Times called ‘tremendously entertaining,’ and has been translated into six languages. Storey is also a national 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, Storey can usually be found traveling the world with husband Mike Gandolfi—an actor and Emmy-winning comedy writer—in search of their next stories. Learn more at StephanieStorey.com

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
1,157 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Joan Snyder Fernandez
5.0 out of 5 stars Smoldering rivalry drives the pace!
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023
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It’s embarrassing but I never realized until now that when my art history classes—and later travels to Rome—included gazing at a Raphael painting, I made a subconscious assumption that the perfect cherubic portrait in his artwork must be a mirror of the artist himself. Wholesome, pure, noble, pink-cheeked. So when I pulled this book RAPHAEL, PAINTER IN ROME, from my TBR pile, I was stunned, then captivated by the Raphael who emerged from the page. He’s a womanizer. He’s disheveled. He’s nimble within Vatican politics. Not the picture of perky perfection I’d imagined. But most enlightening of all—here is a man who burns with the drive to be better than his contemporary, Michelangelo. Not just better, but the GREATEST ARTIST IN HISTORY.
The thing is it’s not all bravado; Raphael has the talent to challenge Michelangelo. So with this smoldering rivalry driving the story’s pace, sixteenth-century Rome comes to life with vivid city descriptions, buildings (I know as ruins today), and fully fleshed-out characters, like the remarkable Felice della Rovere and Margherita Luti (who are only footnotes in most history books). The story is wonderfully entertaining and descriptive. Best of all, Storey has added links to the artwork cited in the narrative in the digital version. It was easy to click to see the paintings as they’re referenced and, over the course of the book, I came to appreciate Raphael’s work even more. Not just for art history buffs, this book is a satisfying, illuminating read. Repost of review on goodreads.
8 people found this helpful
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LuLu
4.0 out of 5 stars interesting
Reviewed in the United States on February 17, 2024
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The story was good, however I am not sure I liked the author’s style of Raphael addressing the reader (don’t know the proper literary term) to me, this writing style made the book feel more like a comedic version of the events
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PJG
5.0 out of 5 stars The Novel Raphael, Painter in Rome is a 5-star read!
Reviewed in the United States on June 18, 2020
Verified Purchase
About reviews (in Raphael’s case, of his finished painting of the Sistine Chapel ceilings), he says, “If you want an opinion about my work, ask others, not me…per favore.” Well, in my opinion, Raphael is a 5-star read. “When you put a painting out into the world, you have no control over how it’s received, do you? asks Raphael. Like writing, I say. How will it be received?
I love this book! I love the first-person narrative in the voice of Raphael Santi. It’s clearly his story after all. I agree with a reviewer who calls the writing “gorgeous,” the settings “rich,” and the plot “riveting.” After the first pages that seem more informational, Raphael’s voice takes over, and I looked forward to listening to him.
Raphael is obsessed with besting his brilliant rival Michelangelo. Storey’s portrait of this artist as an OCD sufferer is so contemporary in this novel. Novel, I repeat for some reviewers who want a biography. It’s historical fiction, emphasis on fiction but based on extensive research. I also liked how he occasionally used social media-speak: “Beh, I didn’t have to worry about such things…,” meaning “whatever.”
And I enjoyed Raphael’s asides to readers. He didn’t use “Dear Reader,” that was sometimes used in novels in another century, but I felt as a reader I was dear, meaning I was allowed into what he was thinking or about to do. I remember once when I thought he shouldn’t go on explaining, he realized readers might think that and so broke in with a brief aside about why he was going on—and I got it and felt privileged, meaning included.
Storey’s knowledge of art history is 5 star—and oh, for her to transform from that way of looking to fiction, my, the stars are a-glazing.
25 people found this helpful
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michael Freed-Thall
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Novel!
Reviewed in the United States on May 24, 2021
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I enjoyed immensely Stephanie Storey’s historical novel, Raphael, Painter of Rome. While it’s not necessary to have read her impressive debut Oil and Marble first, as each novel stands on its own, doing so will add character and artistic context to Raphael.

 In her first book, Michelangelo is the young upstart who challenges Master Leonardo Da Vinci’s supremacy in the Renaissance art world. An intense focus on the artistic process and the internal conflicts of the geniuses drive the narrative, as two of the world’s best-known masterpieces emerge. 

Raphael, Painter of Rome,  also explores the artistic process of creation. The major conflict here though is external. The Pope has set up a competition to see who will paint the Sistine Chapel and who will be named the Vatican’s architect. Michelangelo is now the established artist, while young Raphael wants to make a name for himself as war, chaos, and palace intrigue rise all around. In Raphael’s quest for perfection—to bend the world towards beauty—artistic creation is akin to making love. For Michelangelo, a dark unsettled spirit for whom nothing comes easily, art is more like painful birth. 

This sets up a dynamic story, but it’s not only the plot that makes this gifted author’s second novel unforgettable, but also Raphael’s brilliant first-person narration. I felt like he was speaking directly to me, as he tells the tale, an effect created by Storey’s deft touch. There are laugh-out-loud passages, witty understatements, self-depreciation, and intelligent observations of the artistic and political world of his time. I found it completely engaging and authentic, a moving and intimate portrait of an artist I came to know and admire through this wonderful novel.   
4 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Mrs. J. A. Turner
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 23, 2023
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I really enjoyed this book. I’ve always loved Raphael’s paintings but wanted to know more about the man and the time he lived in. This book provided me with a thoroughly entertaining journey through his period in Rome - I particularly enjoyed reading about his rivalry with Michelangelo, his love affair with Margherita Luti (La Fornarina) and the character of Pope Julius II. I’d never heard of Felice della Rovere before (the Pope’s daughter) but what an interesting woman she sounds! The description of his frescoes in the Vatican has actually made me book a ticket to see them again. I saw them last year but now want to revisit - Villa Farnesina was already on my list! It is historical fiction as Stephanie Storey points out - but what wonderful storytelling! I felt bereft at the end - not only to finish the book (which I read in a few days) but also the loss of Raphael Santi da Urbino, the ‘Prince of Painters.’ Thoroughly recommended.
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Linda Pfeiffer
5.0 out of 5 stars Historical novel of the Renaissance written in modern English l
Reviewed in Canada on August 6, 2020
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This is the story of Raphael, the painter, who is called to Rome by Pope Julius II to paint the walls of his personal chambers with Frescos. The time coincides with Michelangelo painting the Sistine Chapel. Raphael seems to be envious of him and is annoyed that a sculptor is being allowed to paint the ceiling when he should be working in marble and leave the art of fresco to artists like himself. One of the wonderful things about this book is that I continually checked the internet to view both Raphael and Michelangelo's works. I learned so much about the age in Rome around the early 1500's.
I loved the storyline, the easy prose and descriptive scenes so much that I have put another of the author's books on my wish list, which I hope I savour as much as this one.
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Client d'Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars A great book, enjoy!
Reviewed in Australia on August 9, 2020
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I know a book is good when I start reading it really slowly so it takes as long as possible, and when I have finished it, I don’t grab another one within minutes. This is a good, very good, excellent book indeed! Read it!
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Consumer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good follow up to her book Oil & Marble
Reviewed in Canada on February 5, 2024
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Not as good as her first book but still a good read. Several times the narrator speaks to the reader which young readers may love but I just found distracting. I found myself googling the paintings and events to learn more and now have a longing to go back to Italy!!
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Ann Victoria Roberts
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2023
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Loved this novel about Raphael, almost as much as the author's earlier take on Leonardo and Michelangelo. Entertaining, informative, well-written and utterly compelling. Anyone interested in art should read it - not to mention readers who love a good story!
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