This was so beautifully written, the words bore so many emotions and usually i don't really pick up on the underlying feels, but this time i did.
it goes to show that Susanne Dunlap is amazing at what she does, because i read a book about a painter i had never heard of before, felt really connected to her and her struggles and somehow didn't get bored halfway. thank you netgalley for allowing me to read this.

A wonderful look at a woman artist’s life in the 18th century, and more interesting than a novel of Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun would have been. Adelaide Labille-Guiard was a real woman who struggled, loved, and lived, and this story brings her back to life.

A moving story about the difficulties faced by a female artist, Adelaide, in Paris in the eighteenth century, in the time of Marie Antoinette. Of course the novel does not just focus on the artist and her issues, but they are a key part of the story. Lots of historical research is evident in the book, the author knows the period well, but her research is woven well into the story.
This author is a favourite of mine, I have read many of her books, and based on the ones that I have read, she has a very high standard of writing. I particularly loved Emilie's Voice, but this novel is not far behind on my list of favourites. I would certainly recommend this novel and would give it more than five stars if I could, but alas I am limited to five.

I love fiction based in fact, books that educate as well as entertain - especially when enjoyment
is the main criterion, as it is here. I couldn’t put ‘The Portraitist’ down for longer than it took me to google Adelaide Labille-Guiard and admire her self portrait, vividly described in the book and currently on display at The Metropolitan Museum in New York. If you enjoyed ‘Girl with a Pearl Earring’ you will love ‘The Portraitist’, I did.