Passion, painting and politics in sixteenth-century England. The year is 1527. Hans Holbein the Younger is at the beginning of his remarkable career when he travels to England under the patronage of Sir Thomas More. His arrival brings the Renaissance in painting from Europe to Britain. As a guest in the splendid More household in Chelsea, Holbein begins to paint their first family portrait. Little could he know that in a few short years, the family, Tudor society and England itself would have changed beyond recognition. ...
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Passion, painting and politics in sixteenth-century England. The year is 1527. Hans Holbein the Younger is at the beginning of his remarkable career when he travels to England under the patronage of Sir Thomas More. His arrival brings the Renaissance in painting from Europe to Britain. As a guest in the splendid More household in Chelsea, Holbein begins to paint their first family portrait. Little could he know that in a few short years, the family, Tudor society and England itself would have changed beyond recognition. The great household of the courtier and scholar, Sir Thomas More, was famous for its liveliness and learning. More had taken under his patronage distinguished astrologers, artists, politicians and men of religion, as well as wards of court, proteges and many others. Two people visiting the great house find themselves irresistibly drawn to Meg Giggs, one of More's foster daughters. One of them is John Clement -- dark, tall, elegant -- an erstwhile tutor, now practising to become a medical doctor; a man of compelling presence and mysterious background. The other is Holbein himself -- warm, ebullient, radical and foreign -- sent by the great Erasmus to paint the More family portraits. Meg will find herself powerfully drawn to these two wildly contrasting men. She will love one, and marry the other. The two Holbein family portraits frame this remarkable story with its background of love, family, and of religious and political turmoil. Vanora Bennett has created an exceptionally rich novel, presenting the atmosphere of this Tudor household as rarely achieved.
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Dispatched, from the UK, within 48 hours of ordering. Though second-hand, the book is still in very good shape. Minimal signs of usage may include very minor creasing on the cover or on the spine.
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Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
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Good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
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Very good. All orders are dispatched within 1 working day from our UK warehouse. Established in 2004, we are dedicated to recycling unwanted books on behalf of a number of UK charities who benefit from added revenue through the sale of their books plus huge savings in waste disposal. No quibble refund if not completely satisfied.
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Very good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
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Very good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination.
Seller's Description:
Very good. Simply Brit – welcome to our online used book store, where affordability meets great quality. Dive into a world of captivating reads without breaking the bank. We take pride in offering a wide selection of used books, from classics to hidden gems, ensuring there's something for every literary palate. All orders are shipped within 24 hours and our lightning fast-delivery within 48 hours coupled with our prompt customer service ensures a smooth journey from ordering to delivery. Discover the joy of reading with us, your trusted source for affordable books that do not compromise on quality.
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Very good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
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Very good. **SHIPPED FROM UK** We believe you will be completely satisfied with our quick and reliable service. All orders are dispatched as swiftly as possible! Buy with confidence! Greener Books.
"Portrait of an Unknown Woman" by Vanora Bennett was the best book I read this past year. While discussing the lives of Sir Thomas Moore, his ward, and the painter, Hans Holbein, Bennett's book also explores an alleged secret message contained in Holbein's painting "The Ambassadors" as well as secret messages in other Holbein paintings. Bennett's book is wonderfully engrossing. It reminded me a little of "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Phillipa Gregory. I loved Bennett's book so much that I bought copies for Christmas presents for my stepmother, stepsister, and two friends.
dixiebrit
Jul 5, 2007
Excellent Historical Novel
If you enjoy history and historical novels (such as the Six Wives of Henry VIII and Marie Antoinette), this book is well worth your time. It is and excellent history of Tudor times told from an entirely different viewpoint: that of the adopted daughter of Sir Thomas More, one-time Chancellor to Henry VIII. It really captures the mood of London and the country in general prior to the original divorce of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. It shows the confusion between the very Catholic English and the imported Lutheran/Protestantism from the Continent, the concerns that all these things were fanatical, and the thoughtfulness of the scholars of the age, among them More, Erasmus and Hans Holbein the Younger.
It is an excellent book, points to an intriguing mystery (the Princes in the Tower) and makes you think. Vanora Bennett is an excellent novelist and hopefully will be encouraged to continue in this vein. I only wish we could have read more about Meg and her husband John in their later life. I would love to find more original documents that would shed more light on their later life in Belgium and elsewhere. Thank you for a fascinating read. I wish there were more.
Cariola
Apr 1, 2007
Fantastic Tudor-Period Novel!
Be prepared to suspend your disbelief--just jump into the world of Meg Griggs, willingly lay aside historical fact, and you'll be in for a great reading experience. Vanora Bennett's tale of the "unknown" woman in Holbein's famous portrait of Sir Thomas More and family (identified in the artist's sketch as Margaret Giggs Clement, about whom quite a bit is actually known) will please historical fiction readers, especially those who enjoy novels by Philippa Gregory and Tracy Chevalier. Bennett delves deeply into Meg's romance with her former tutor, her relationship with her adopted father More, and her friendship with Holbein, the great portraitist of Henry VIII's court. Along the way, the religious turmoil surrounding the king's divorce throws the family and the country into turmoil, and Meg learns a shocking secret about her husband's past. Bennett's Meg is an educated, intelligent woman who takes pleasure in administering folk remedies to the poor, often challenging her doctor husband's expertise. My only quibbles with the book are Meg's immature outbursts and reactions, which seem highly out of character; and the formulaic "bodice-ripper" scenes, which come like clockwork and also seem out of character for Meg. Bennett plays with historical facts and invents quite a few of her own. Just remember that it is fiction and go along for the ride.
