Review of The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
Enjoy a New Perspective on Renaissance Florence
The Birth of Venus is set during one of the most exciting and turbulent periods of the Italian Renaissance. The cultural heights of Medici Florence are under threat from the monk Savonarola, whose religious extremism leads to an attack on culture and beauty. His oppression of ideas and creativity parallels that of Soviet Russia in the twentieth century and Al Qaeda today. Dunant paints a fictional picture of a female experience of this fascinating time.
Biography of the Author Sarah Dunant
Sarah Dunant is a British novelist who lives in London and Florence. She has had a long and varied career in the media, including production for the BBC and presenting Woman’s Hour, the long running BBC Radio 4 programme. She initially wrote thrillers and detective novels, but her love of Renaissance Italy and her fascination with the secret history of women lead her to write historical fiction. The Birth of Venus is the first of a trilogy, which includes In the Company of the Courtesan and the recently published Sacred Hearts.
Women, Sexuality and Art in The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
The protagonist, Alessandra Cecchi, is a well educated teenage girl who is also a talented artist. Sadly, the gender roles of the time prevent her from entering the creative world she so desperately wants to be a part of. The arrival of an inspiring young painter to her family home leads to both an artistic and sexual awakening. This formative experience changes the landscape of her emotional life, and soon after she is tricked into a highly atypical marriage which does give her intellectual, if not physical, satisfaction. The relationship encourages her personal growth and the 'trick' ultimately seems to be an unconscious choice that brings her the experience she needs at the time.
This theme is developed later in the novel. It is only when she enters a convent and becomes Sister Lucrezia that she finds the opportunity to truly express her creativity. Though she is eventually able to finds both sexual and creative fulfilment for a time, it seems that it is ultimately only possible without a romantic partner. Perhaps many women today, who feel torn between their needs and those of others, can relate to this dilemma.
Political and Creative Oppression in The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
Savonarola's crusade against beauty and sensuality is a constant force throughout the novel. His political power parallels the creative restriction women faced then, and continue to face today. Alessandra's sister Plautilla enjoys her traditional domestic role in family life and relationships, but Alessandra herself does not fit neatly into the destiny her family and culture expects of her. Her intellectual curiosity irritates her Mother, and her brothers find her threatening. Alessandra spends much of her time feeling frustrated, but the peace and fulfillment she eventually finds is perhaps deeper because of her struggles.
Writing and Art in The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
The most moving part of the novel is that we are left with Alessandra's manuscipt, which makes up the main part of the story. Written in the convent, its title, The Testament of Sister Lucrezia, gives her words a biblical power parallel to The Gospel of Mary, a hidden chapter of the New Testament which is supposedly Mary Magdalene's account of the life of Christ. Alessandra/Sister Lucrezia's role in art may have been limited, but her account of her incredible life lives on.
Writing, however, does not seem quite right for her. It is a relatively remote creative form, based more on thought and intellect. It lacks the immediate physical intimacy of the dirty fingers and sensual smudging of wet paint on walls that the young Alessandra finds so intoxicating. Human beings have only written for a few millennia, but we can see cave paintings that date back to truly ancient times. We can only share in the description of her artistic creativity, and that is the great hidden tragedy of the book.
Sarah Dunant, The Birth of Venus (Virago Press, 2004) ISBN 978-1-84408-035-9
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