Raphael: A Visual Salve for Stressful Days

Musings on Raphael 500 years after his death. Looking at his art can be the healing salve we all need right now.

Making Progress on My New Novel Set in Renaissance Venice

Very exciting moment for me - I just finished the entire first (very rough) draft of my new novel!

It’s Not Just the Coronavirus: A History of Quarantining

Quarantining, a word with a rich and ancient history, is still relevant, and we would be wise to study the past to judiciously apply best practices and lessons to the present.

Awesome Historical Fiction Recs to Kickstart Your Reading in 2020

Neil Pasricha, bestselling author of The Book of Awesome and other books, lists his most awesome historical fiction recommendations.

Raphael for the Holidays: A Gift Guide

It’s that time of year to put out holiday gift lists. Everyone has suggestions and often a focus, and mine is no different: Gifts related to everyone’s favorite painter, Raphael!

Raphael, Kind of Like an Old Boyfriend

This post is why my yearlong focus on Raphael.

That’s Amore: Raphael’s Love Life

Raphael’s love life has been a source of fascination since his untimely death, from the sixteenth-century biographer Giorgio Vasari to my own coauthored novel The Sidewalk Artist. While Raphael was undoubtedly engaged to a cardinal’s daughter, Maria Bibbiena, he never married her and many have speculated that the great love of his life was La … Continue reading That’s Amore: Raphael’s Love Life →

Raphael: The Latest on the Renaissance Artist

More news continues to straggle in about the upcoming 500th anniversary of Raphael's death and related ephemera (though long may his art live). Perhaps the biggest dispatch to recently emerge from the art history world is the determination that the Haddo Madonna in Scotland was likely NOT painted by Raphael. The painting was examined by … Continue reading Raphael: The Latest on the Renaissance Artist →