Karen’s Pick
October 2022
The Marriage Portrait: A Novel
Maggie O’Farrell
Knopf Publisher; September 6, 2022
If you loved Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet, you’ll want to read her new book The Marriage Portrait: A Novel. This magnificent book of historical fiction provides an immersive reading experience of Renaissance Italy in 1560. The story depicts the brief life and mysterious death of Lucrezia de’Medici, of Florence, third daughter of Cosimo de’Medici, and her marriage to the decade older Alfonso d’Este, Duke of Ferrarra, Modena and Reggio.
The story is loosely based on historical accounts, of their life (and death), however, both Lucrezia and Alfonso did exist. O’Farrell has conceived of a story of a marriage that was politically motivated to create an alliance between the two city-states, strengthen the ebbing prominence of the de’Medici family, and to guarantee the continuation of the d’Este family royal blood line.
The aristocratic Lucrezia is described as a young artistic prodigy, who explores, questions, and seeks fulfillment by pushing the imposed boundaries of familial and societal expectations. O’Farrell’s Alfonso is handsome, humorous, and calculating. His soul motivation for this marriage is to produce an heir, regardless of the Duke’s proven inability to father a child. Lucrezia both fears and adores him
The structure of A Marriage Portrait helps to grab the readers interest from the opening page; we realize that Lucrezia is to die within the year, most likely murdered by her husband. O’Farrell then offers us Lucrezia’s backstory; a fearless young girl in the most terrifying experiences, until she becomes the wife of the Duke.
It is hard not to draw parallels between O’Farrell’s Agnes and her marriage partner in Hamnet, and Lucrezia’s relationship with Alfonso. Both women use the power of disassociation to cope with their situations. Beautifully painted moments are juxtaposed with the pain, panic, and the ongoing plight of women. In many ways, A Marriage Portrait can be considered a feminist work.
I highly recommend A Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell, so much so that I will purchase a copy for my permanent collection.