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Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
Biography, history, and memoir are woven together in Hales’ (La Bella Lingua, 2009) lyrical biography of Lisa Gherardini, the donna vera (real woman) captured in Leonardo da Vinci’s early sixteenth-century masterpiece, Mona Lisa. Hales paints a vivid history of the dramatic, often violent Renaissance Florence in which Gherardini lived: a town populated with scheming politicians, warring religious factions, and artists boasting rock-star popularity. Intertwined with this tale is Gherardini’s personal biography as a daughter, a merchant’s wife, a devoted mother, and a family matriarch—a story that provides counterpoint to the epic, male-dominated history of the age. The verifiable facts of Gherardini’s life are scarce, so Hales leans heavily on “informed imagination,” delving deeply into the customs, rituals, and relationships that governed women’s lives in Renaissance Italy. Throughout the book, she scours archives, interrogates scholars, and walks the streets of Florence, seeking traces of Gherardini in detail and in spirit. These first-person accounts reveal the author’s deep kinship with Gherardini, and her quest endows human subjectivity to one of art history’s greatest icons. --Lindsay Bosch
Review
"I’m enthralled by every page of Dianne Hales’s Mona Lisa. The mysteries of the painting remain, but through Hales’s portraits of the people and her skilled rendering of customs, politics, and daily habits of the time, you come to know the painting in profound new ways. The great pleasure of her prose brings Lisa Gheradini’s world to vivid life. Anyone who loves art and Italy—and who doesn’t—will adore this book. (Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun and Under Magnolia)
"This is cultural history that reads like a detective novel as Dianne Hales tracks down the real woman behind one of the world’s most famous and enigmatic faces. Expertly sleuthing her way through the treasure troves of archives and palazzos, she offers her own fascinating portrait not just of Lisa Gherardini but also of the vibrant Renaissance world that nurtured both Lisa and Leonardo’s painting." (Ross King, author of Brunelleschi's Dome and Leonardo and The Last Supper)
"Biography, history, and memoir are woven together in Hales' lyrical biography of Lisa Gherardini...her quest endows human subjectivity to one of art history's greatest icons." (Booklist)
"Engaging...a rich tapestry of family life, mercantile society, politics, and artistic development...enthralling." (BookPage)
"Veteran journalist Dianne Hales shares with us the tumultuous lives of both Gherardini and the artist who immortalized her, and brings us along on the travels of a work of art for which love and esteem have increased markedly over the centuries." (New York Post)
“A readable and affectionate my-search-for-story for art lovers and anyone interested in glorious and gory Florence in the 15th- to 16th centuries, and in the divine Leonardo in particular…Hales' assiduous research has made it possible for us to know Mona Lisa just a bit, enough to wonder if this otherwise ordinary Florentine housewife could ever have imagined her portrait enchanting millions for centuries.” (USAToday.com)
“Now, thanks to meticulous research, Hales’ biography-memoir-history lesson brings to life Lisa Gherardini (1479-1542), the unforgettable face behind Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
"Combining history, whimsical biography, personal travelogue, and love letter to Italy...an accessible, vivid examination of women's lives in Florence of the period....Entertaining." (Publishers Weekly)
"It's a joy to follow Dianne Hales' fascinating exploration into what's behind the world's most famous smile—an enchanting mix of fascinating history and passion-filled memoir." (Susan Van Allen, author of 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go)
"This is cultural history that reads like a detective novel as Dianne Hales tracks down the real woman behind one of the world’s most famous and enigmatic faces. Expertly sleuthing her way through the treasure troves of archives and palazzos, she offers her own fascinating portrait not just of Lisa Gherardini but also of the vibrant Renaissance world that nurtured both Lisa and Leonardo’s painting." (Ross King, author of Brunelleschi's Dome and Leonardo and The Last Supper)
"Biography, history, and memoir are woven together in Hales' lyrical biography of Lisa Gherardini...her quest endows human subjectivity to one of art history's greatest icons." (Booklist)
"Engaging...a rich tapestry of family life, mercantile society, politics, and artistic development...enthralling." (BookPage)
"Veteran journalist Dianne Hales shares with us the tumultuous lives of both Gherardini and the artist who immortalized her, and brings us along on the travels of a work of art for which love and esteem have increased markedly over the centuries." (New York Post)
“A readable and affectionate my-search-for-story for art lovers and anyone interested in glorious and gory Florence in the 15th- to 16th centuries, and in the divine Leonardo in particular…Hales' assiduous research has made it possible for us to know Mona Lisa just a bit, enough to wonder if this otherwise ordinary Florentine housewife could ever have imagined her portrait enchanting millions for centuries.” (USAToday.com)
“Now, thanks to meticulous research, Hales’ biography-memoir-history lesson brings to life Lisa Gherardini (1479-1542), the unforgettable face behind Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.” (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
"Combining history, whimsical biography, personal travelogue, and love letter to Italy...an accessible, vivid examination of women's lives in Florence of the period....Entertaining." (Publishers Weekly)
"It's a joy to follow Dianne Hales' fascinating exploration into what's behind the world's most famous smile—an enchanting mix of fascinating history and passion-filled memoir." (Susan Van Allen, author of 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go)
More About the Author
Dianne Hales, a prize-winning, widely published journalist and author, was awarded an honorary knighthood by the President of Italy in recognition of her best-selling book, La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian, the World's Most Enchanting Language.
Her newest book, MONA LISA: A LIFE DISCOVERED, blends biography, history, and memoir to tell the story of Lisa Gherardini, the flesh-and-blood woman in the world's most praised and parodied painting. Dianne Hales takes readers with her to uncover Lisa's colorful family history, explore her neighborhoods, and meet her present-day descendants. In this voyage of discovery, we come to know Lisa as a daughter of Florence, a Renaissance woman, a merchant's wife, a loving mother, a devout Christian, and a "noble spirit."
Dianne has served as a contributing editor for Parade, Ladies Home Journal, Working Mother and American Health and has written for many national publications, including Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, New York Times, Readers' Digest, Washington Post, Woman's Day, and World Book. In addition to more than a dozen trade books, she is the author of 24 editions of the leading college health textbook, An Invitation to Health.
Her newest book, MONA LISA: A LIFE DISCOVERED, blends biography, history, and memoir to tell the story of Lisa Gherardini, the flesh-and-blood woman in the world's most praised and parodied painting. Dianne Hales takes readers with her to uncover Lisa's colorful family history, explore her neighborhoods, and meet her present-day descendants. In this voyage of discovery, we come to know Lisa as a daughter of Florence, a Renaissance woman, a merchant's wife, a loving mother, a devout Christian, and a "noble spirit."
Dianne has served as a contributing editor for Parade, Ladies Home Journal, Working Mother and American Health and has written for many national publications, including Family Circle, Good Housekeeping, New York Times, Readers' Digest, Washington Post, Woman's Day, and World Book. In addition to more than a dozen trade books, she is the author of 24 editions of the leading college health textbook, An Invitation to Health.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful
By
Shopoholic
on August 5, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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What an amazing book! For anyone who loves Italy, Florence, art history, Da Vinci or the Renaissance, this is a book for you. Dianne Hales discovered Mona Lisa, the real woman behind the most famous painting in the world, while on a trip in Italy. She discovered her name, but was astounded at how little else remained of her story. So, she embarked on a journey to truly discover this woman, who she was, what her life was like. Reading this book, you are transferred to Italy, 500 years ago to today and taken on a ride through past and present. I wasn't able to the book down and I am sure you won't be able to either. Florence will never look the same for me after traveling down it's ancient streets with Dianne. An excellent read!
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By
Italia Melissa
on August 6, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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For me reading Dianne’s new book about the Mona Lisa was pure pleasure. It is a fully satisfying read and one I couldn't put down! Her unabashed curiosity to know the real woman,"la vera donna" behind the myth and the enigmatic smile, compels the reader to follow her on a fascinating historical tour of medieval and Renaissance Tuscany & Florence and beyond! Through her pages we rub shoulders with the Guelphs & the Ghibellines, as well as with the powerful Medici bankers and other significant players on the Florentine stage during the late 1400s; we walk together through the alleyways and streets, visiting palazzi, churches and public buildings that would have been the back drop for all these colorful characters. Of course we also follow the ascent of a young Leonardo and are rewarded with a glimpse into his his life during a time when life was changing so rapidly with new ideas, discoveries, wealth and power. Dianne also introduces us to Lisa’s rebellious and spirited ancestors, like the treasonous Pelliccia Gherardini and the feisty Margherita Datini, as well as her descendants, the Strozzi princesses. But, most importantly, through the pages of Dianne’s book we are given insight into who the real Lisa Gherardini might have been; we come to know the woman, the wife and the mother who lived for 63 years. We get a glimpse of the woman whose face is so famous, and yet to this day has remained “voiceless”. Brava!
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
By
Sal Prisco
on August 14, 2014
Format: Hardcover
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Dianne Hales brings Mona Lisa to life in a new study of her life and times.
This book is a triumph of research that should put to rest many of the
absurd theories of her life and the motivation of Da Vinci in painting
her. The reader may well experience both tears and smiles in finally
getting to know something concrete about one of the most
recognizable icons in human history. Brava Dianne!
Salvatore Prisco, Ph.D.
Prof. of History,
Stevens Institute of Technology
This book is a triumph of research that should put to rest many of the
absurd theories of her life and the motivation of Da Vinci in painting
her. The reader may well experience both tears and smiles in finally
getting to know something concrete about one of the most
recognizable icons in human history. Brava Dianne!
Salvatore Prisco, Ph.D.
Prof. of History,
Stevens Institute of Technology
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
Ionia Martin
TOP 500 REVIEWER on August 27, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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The sheer amount of research and man (well in this case woman) hours that went into this flawless book is deserving of five stars. Dianne Hales is a passionate researcher, this much is clear, but she is also a gifted writer. Where many non-fiction books tend to be dry and somewhat acerbic in their approach to delivering information, this author uses her talent as a story teller to make you see and feel what you are reading. The descriptions in this book are incredible.
Rather than sitting in the national archives of Italy for the entire duration of research needed to compile the factual backbone of this book, Dianne Hales went and lived the life (or as close to the life) of Lisa Gherardini as she could. She walked the same streets, saw similar sights and pieced together the missing parts of a life that has been so important to so many but never fully appreciated until now.
This book offers amazing insight into the life of a woman that we all recognise but most of us know little to nothing about. The author also carefully constructed the timeline of Da Vinci and offered a thorough historical background on the history of the Gherardini family tree. While there are still mysteries that remain, this book offers a rather comprehensive look at Florentine life many years ago.
The way this book is organised offers the reader a step-by-step journey into the past, progressively moving forward to the actual painting of the subject at the core of this writing. The author was careful to remain impartial and use the evidence she compiled to support her work, rather than letting this run wild with opinion.
I was greatly impressed with this book and think scholars of the age as well as anyone interested in art history will gain from reading this.
Excellent book, written with passion and intensity.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from Netgalley and the Publisher. All opinions are my own.
Rather than sitting in the national archives of Italy for the entire duration of research needed to compile the factual backbone of this book, Dianne Hales went and lived the life (or as close to the life) of Lisa Gherardini as she could. She walked the same streets, saw similar sights and pieced together the missing parts of a life that has been so important to so many but never fully appreciated until now.
This book offers amazing insight into the life of a woman that we all recognise but most of us know little to nothing about. The author also carefully constructed the timeline of Da Vinci and offered a thorough historical background on the history of the Gherardini family tree. While there are still mysteries that remain, this book offers a rather comprehensive look at Florentine life many years ago.
The way this book is organised offers the reader a step-by-step journey into the past, progressively moving forward to the actual painting of the subject at the core of this writing. The author was careful to remain impartial and use the evidence she compiled to support her work, rather than letting this run wild with opinion.
I was greatly impressed with this book and think scholars of the age as well as anyone interested in art history will gain from reading this.
Excellent book, written with passion and intensity.
This review is based on a complimentary copy from Netgalley and the Publisher. All opinions are my own.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By
Jill Meyer
TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE VOICE on August 17, 2014
Format: Kindle Edition
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Author Dianne Hales's "Mona Lisa: A Life Discovered" is an excellent story of painter and subject; of a canvas and the world in which it was painted. It is Florence in the late 1400's/early 1500's, the ultimate "Renaissance Man" Leonardo Da Vinci, and, Mona Lisa Gherardini del Gioconda.
Dianne Hales has tracked down and written about the real Mona Lisa. The records of her existence are available in files and books in Florence and Hales has put them together in a book. Part of the book is factual - dates and marriage and children - but some is conjecture about Lisa Gheraradini's thoughts and actions. Hales couches her wording, using terms like "could have" and "might have", which softens the conjecture for the reader. She has learned enough about Lisa - her family, both birth and marital - and combining that with information about Florentine history - both social and governmental - gives the reader an encompassing view of the woman and her world.
But Dianne Hales also looks at both the painter, Leonardo, and his life, as well as the long life of the canvas. From Leonardo's possession to that of French royalty, to finally life in the Louvre, the "Mona Lisa" has been in French hands since the early 1500s. Except, of course, for life on-the-run as a kidnap victim in 1911; the painting was returned to the museum in 1913, only leaving it again under careful chaperonage.
Dianne Hales' book reveals the woman behind the face in the painting. It's a marvelously readable book. And if you like reading about paintings and their subjects, pick up Carola Hick's "Girl in a Green Gown: The History and Mystery of the Arnolfini Portrait".
Dianne Hales has tracked down and written about the real Mona Lisa. The records of her existence are available in files and books in Florence and Hales has put them together in a book. Part of the book is factual - dates and marriage and children - but some is conjecture about Lisa Gheraradini's thoughts and actions. Hales couches her wording, using terms like "could have" and "might have", which softens the conjecture for the reader. She has learned enough about Lisa - her family, both birth and marital - and combining that with information about Florentine history - both social and governmental - gives the reader an encompassing view of the woman and her world.
But Dianne Hales also looks at both the painter, Leonardo, and his life, as well as the long life of the canvas. From Leonardo's possession to that of French royalty, to finally life in the Louvre, the "Mona Lisa" has been in French hands since the early 1500s. Except, of course, for life on-the-run as a kidnap victim in 1911; the painting was returned to the museum in 1913, only leaving it again under careful chaperonage.
Dianne Hales' book reveals the woman behind the face in the painting. It's a marvelously readable book. And if you like reading about paintings and their subjects, pick up Carola Hick's "Girl in a Green Gown: The History and Mystery of the Arnolfini Portrait".
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