Mon, 29 Aug 2005
Rendezvous in Venice
Phillipe Beaussant, Rendezvous in Venice, Pushkin Paper
If the idea of the title appeals to you, so might this
beautiful little novel. If Venice appeals, then it is likely that
beauty, art, and history might also. The book involves an art
expert, his nephew, and two beautiful young women. There isn't
actually all that much about Venice, just some allusions to places,
churches, and paintings. There are a lot of mentions of various
paintings from all around.
One little story is illustrative. A young girl came to Florence
who entranced all who saw her. Her name was Simonetta Vespucci, and
was a relation of Amerigo. One of her admirers was Boccaccio. In
his subsequent paintings, all the females he painted were Simonetta
... as Venus, as ... She died at the age of twenty-three and Boccaccio
asked that when he died, he be buried at her feet. He was, and they
are still together.
It is all beautifully done with the simple story expanded
by a possible lesson for life, and certainly the idea that art
without heart, in the beholder especially, is just technique.
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pre Dec 04 reviews are here