What a happy surprise! When I realized that "Raphael, Painter in Rome" was by the same author as "Oil and Marble," I was a bit trepidatious; I wasn't a fan of the latter, because it seemed to lionize Michelangelo at the expense of Leonardo. But this book is a delight. One reason might be because it's in the first person, narrated by Raphael himself, rather than in the third person. The fictional voice of Raphael is so well realized and absolutely disarming. When he describes a setting, it's the way I'd imagine a master painter would do so, with an emphasis on visual details. The information about the mechanics of painting and his and Michelangelo's works (yes, Michelangelo is a pivotal figure in this one too) is presented in a beautifully natural way, not at all like an info dump. So while I have my quibbles, especially re the climax (a major example of playing fast and loose with the facts), I did love this book.

Thank you, NetGalley and Skyhorse Publishing, for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.