For fans of rich and complex historical novels like Girl with a Pearl Earring or Code Name Verity, New York Times bestselling author Laura Malone Elliott delivers the stunning tale of real-life Renaissance woman Ginevra de' Benci, captured forever in Leonardo's first portrait-a painting that broke convention and established the master as a force of artistic honesty. Though rich in beauty, wit, and talent, Ginevra is trapped in an arranged marriage, expected to limit her creativity to household duties. When charismatic Venetian ambassador Bernardo Bembo chooses the teenage poetess as his Platonic muse, he commissions Ginevra's portrait by a young Leonardo da Vinci. Posing for the brilliant painter helps Ginevra find her own artistic voice and inspires a captivating intimacy between them. But the pair is soon caught up in a deadly battle between the powerful Medici family and its rivals.
