Author:Damian Dibben,Ben Allen
Brought to you by Penguin.
The new spellbinding and enchanting story from the internationally acclaimed author of Tomorrow
Renaissance Venice is a furnace of ideas and ambition. Artists flock here, not just for wealth and fame, but for revolutionary colour. Yet artist Giorgione 'Zorzo' Barbarelli's career hangs in the balance. Competition is fierce, and his debts are piling up. When Zorzo hears a rumour of a mysterious, other-worldly new pigment, brought to Venice by the richest man in Europe, he sets out to acquire the colour and secure his name in history.
Winning a commission to paint a portrait of the man's wife, Sybille, Zorzo thinks he has found a way into the merchant's favour. Instead he finds himself caught up in a conspiracy that stretches across Europe and a marriage coming apart inside one of the floating city's most illustrious palazzos.
As the water levels rise and the plague creeps ever closer, an increasingly desperate Zorzo isn't sure whom he can trust. Will Sybille prove to be the key to Zorzo's success, or the reason for his downfall?
Atmospheric and suspenseful, and filled with the famous artists of the era, The Colour Storm is an intoxicating story of art and ambition, love and obsession in Renaissance Venice - capturing a moment of artistic invention that echoes through the centuries.
'Addictive, ambitious and knife sharp. A compelling thriller and a celebration of art. Ravishing'
Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
'An epic tale of love, of courage, of hope' Evening Standard
'Bask in the brilliance' The Mail on Sunday
© Damian Dibben 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022
A glorious, exuberant summer read. Dibben's triumph is the character of Zorzo, a buoyant, loveable guide to the grandeur and the dangers of Renaissance Venice
—— The TimesRavishing, addictive, knife-sharp, ambitious, and singing with detail. A compelling thriller that takes us to the heart of sixteenth century Venice where the world's most famous painters compete to win the greatest commission of their lives. There is so much to think about and relish. Not simply the story itself - with all its glorious twists and turns - but the search to express ourselves. A celebration of art and a hymn to colour.
—— Rachel JoyceAn engaging thriller and a compelling exploration of an artist's obsession with love and colour
—— Sunday TimesThe Colour Storm takes readers on a thrilling, murderous journey through the serpentine waters of High Renaissance Venice as one of art history's most gifted but often overlooked painters - Giorgione - searches for love, fame, and, most importantly, colour. Written with language as vibrant as a Giorgione masterpiece, The Colour Storm is for lovers of art, Italy, and page-turning plot
—— Stephanie StoreyA story filled with intrigue and secrets as well as colour, Damian Dibben's new novel is filled with vivid descriptions . . . very rich in atmosphere and tone that keeps you wanting to read more
—— Love London Love CultureA terrific book . . . Absorbing, exciting and, dare I say it, colourful. An original tale told beautifully
—— A. D. SwanstonArt and ambition, love and obsession all come into play in this compelling and spellbinding tale set in Renaissance Venice
—— STYLISTHugely evocative, it's a love story, it's a thriller, it's a fantastic page turner
—— Sophie Haydock, author of THE FLAMESA rich and rousing tale of art, love, rivalry and obsession in Renaissance Venice
—— Chloë Ashby, author of WET PAINTAn intoxicating story about an incredible period in history
—— SUNThe pace of this elegant thriller quickens as truths are bared between controlling Jakob Fugger and abused Sybille with her tortuous past, while lovestruck Zorzo is pulled into a powerful situation that draws richly upon all elements of the 16th century
—— PerspectiveAn intoxicating and illuminating tale, bathed in colour, passion and ambition . . . A must for lovers of Renaissance art and the wonders of sixteenth century Venice
—— S. W. PerryThe pace of a thriller and the riches of a Renaissance painting
—— Rachel Joyce , ObserverA vivid imagining of the artistic world of Renaissance Venice. There is an incredible charm in its depiction of the great painters of the period with all their flesh-and-blood idiosyncrasies and flaws. The life of the studio and the supreme importance of colour in all the essentials of its make up is rendered absolutely convincingly. The work has all the more emotional power as it focusses on a lesser known artist as he negotiates the precarious life of his city alongside competitors, those whose names have resounded through history.
—— S. G. MacLeanA great work of historical fiction, which weaves together conspiracy, art and love in a thriller
—— Ruth MillingtonPraise for Damian Dibben
—— -Bask in the brilliance
—— Mail on SundayOriginal, ambitious, moving
—— StylistWhat a novel! Ambitious and wonderfully achieved
—— Michael MorpurgoI was captivated from the beginning. Ornate, vivid, deeply coloured, and so precise I could smell and taste the world
—— Rachel JoyceAn epic tale of love, of courage, of hope
—— Evening StandardA stunning and captivating tale
—— The SunA grand sweep of adventure and travel, war and romance, and a rich exploration of love, life and loyalty
—— National Public Radio[An] opulent tale, with elements of both love story and thriller, featuring some of Venice's most admired High Renaissance artists hunting desperately for a dazzling new pigment that will transform their work and fortunes
—— MetroFew know the secrets of the Metropolitan Museum of Art like the guards who roam its two million square feet treasure, keeping an eye on its treasures. For a decade, Patrick Bringley was one of them, and in this moving memoir, he recounts bonding with his colleagues and marveling at the beautiful works of art he is entrusted to protect
—— New York PostA unique workplace memoir that tells the tale of the museum and the people who keep it running
—— Book RiotAs rich in moving insights as the Met is in treasures, All the Beauty in the World reminds us of the importance of learning not about art, but from it. This is art appreciation at a profound level
—— NPRAn empathetic chronicle of one museum, the works collected there and the people who keep it running - all recounted by an especially patient observer
—— The New York Times Book ReviewA profound homage to the marvels of a world-class museum and a radiant chronicle of grief, perception, and a renewed embrace of life
—— BookpageHessel's beautifully written 500-year survey is a welcome, necessary, addition to the bookshelves
—— Claire Armitstead , GuardianHighly readable and lavishly illustrated... a rich storehouse of groundbreaking female art
—— Liz Hodgkinson , The LadyAstonishing
—— Bella MackieThis book changes everything. As soon as you open it, it's like you've opened a box of lit fireworks - out soars great artist after great artist. Her retake on the canon has changed it forever
—— Ali Smith , ObserverHessel possesses that rare quality of a public intellectual, whereby she can distill vast amounts of knowledge and history into something accessible, relevant and joyful
—— Pandora SykesExtraordinary
—— L.A. Times