"Splendidly illustrated and erudite. . . . McPhee beautifully interweaves personal history, art history, and the cultural history of baroque Rome to spotlight Piccolomini’s biography and to demonstrate why the power of her image and her story is worth investigating. A highly impressive work of scholarship and a tour de force of interest to art historians, scholars of the baroque with a particular interest in women’s history, [that is also] accessible to general readers."--Publisher's Weekly (starred review)
~Publisher's Weekly
"Enthralling. . . . McPhee's book is rich in historical detail, and truly an original contribution that will be welcomed by scholars, students, and general readers."—Elizabeth Cropper, Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art
~Elizabeth Cropper
"A highly original work by an accomplished and enterprising scholar, Bernini's Beloved offers a compelling, untold human story. It shows us the lively 17th-century Roman art world from a novel perspective, that of a woman. . . . It will be welcomed by anyone interested in art, artists, gender, and the social history of Rome during the flourishing of the baroque.."—Elizabeth S. Cohen, York University
~Elizabeth Cohen
"Bernini's Beloved will definitively change the way people look at Bernini's portrait of a woman who turns out to be the descendant of a Pope. . . Sarah McPhee argues that Bernini used his utmost artistry to convey Costanza's divine dignity as a new Venus, reconciling the background of this remarkable statue with its evident value in artistry and materials. The whole picture, for the first time, makes eminent sense."—Ingrid Rowland, University of Notre Dame
~Ingrid Rowland
“Splendidly illustrated and erudite . . . A highly impressive work of scholarship and a tour de force.”—Publishers Weekly, starred review
~Publishers Weekly
“McPhee…builds up a detailed portrait of Costanza’s life against the backdrop of Baroque Rome, offering along the way a fresh perspective on Bernini’s life and work.”—Apollo Magazine
~Apollo Magazine
“A scrupulously researched and sober biography of a remarkable woman who was both muse and patron.”—Library Journal
~Library Journal
“Bernini’s Beloved is a most valuable, enlightening addition to our knowledge of the intriguing Costanza and her fascinating Rome.”—Renaissance Quarterly
“McPhee's book is a satisfying detective story, reclaiming the context and evidence of events. Much new information informs this meticulously researched and copiously documented tale.”—Choice
~Choice
‘…a brilliantly researched biography of the woman who was mistress not only of the greatest of all roman sculptors, Gian Lorenzo Bernini, but also his younger brother Luigi. This extraordinary biography recreates the life and passions of Renaissance Rome like no other book I have ever read.’—William Dalrymple, Observer New Review.
~William Dalrymple, Observer New Review
