"“These are hard times for art.� � Michelangelo writing to his father in 1509

In the opening of Laurent Binet's "Perspective(s)," a man only known as "B" discovers 176 letters in a 19th-century antique shop. These letters, written by notable figures like Michelangelo and Catherine de' Medici, center around the investigation of the murder of artist Jacopo da Pontormo in 1557 Renaissance Florence. While the focus of the novel is the murder mystery storyline, it also delves into the political and religious power struggles of the era.

Jacopo da Pontormo was found dead in the chapel where he had been working, stabbed with his own chisel and struck by his own hammer. He had been creating a series of frescoes, including a controversial depiction of "Venus and Cupid," in which the face of the nude Venus had been replaced with the face of Maria de' Medici, the daughter of the Duke of Florence. This scandalous artwork created an opportunity for exploitation, potentially to humiliate the duke and his family.

Art historian Giorgio Vasari was selected to investigate the case, and there was no shortage of potential culprits. Could it have been a rival artist, fueled by envy? An individual acting on behalf of the enraged duke? Or perhaps a religious fanatic, inspired by the decrees of Pope Paul IV, who vehemently opposed the "obscene" nudity depicted in art?

The letters are generally brief, and the pace progresses without getting bogged down in details. The area of “perspective� and some art theory is explored, but this is not a technical treatise on art history. The humor is quite prevalent, with the escapades of the renegade nuns being particularly comedic. It is also amusing to see the two-faced double-crossing among the characters. While this fictitious retelling of history is not a thriller in a league with “The Name of the Rose,� it is a quick read and will compel you to check out the frescoes and architecture referred to.

“After all, there is only one noble thing upon this Earth, and that is art. Man is merely a fading stain on a wall.�

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and to NetGalley for providing an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. "

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