The Night Portrait

A Novel of World War II & Da Vinci's Italy

★★★★★ 2119 reviews

A USA Today & Publishers Weekly Bestseller

Two women, separated by 500 years, are swept up in the tide of history as one painting stands at the center of their quests for their own destinies.

An exciting, dual-timeline historical novel about the creation of one of Leonardo da Vinci’s most famous paintings, Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine, and the woman who fought to save it from Nazi destruction during World War II.

Milan, 1492: When a 16-year-old beauty becomes the mistress of the Duke of Milan, she must fight for her place in the palace—and against those who want her out. Soon, she finds herself sitting before Leonardo da Vinci, who wants to ensure his own place in the ducal palace by painting his most ambitious portrait to date.

Munich, World War II: After a modest conservator unwittingly places a priceless Italian Renaissance portrait into the hands of a high-ranking Nazi leader, she risks her life to recover it, working with an American soldier, part of the famed Monuments Men team, to get it back.

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From Our Readers...

★★★★★ A wonderful historical novel
Traci L
A fantastic multi timeline story centered around daVinci’s the Lady and the Ermine. Morelli does a wonderful job of interweaving the stories of Edith, and Dominic in WWII Poland/Germany and their quest to protect and preserve artwork during the ravages of war. In parallel we learn about the creation of the piece they are trying to save and the painter and subject- Cecilia. There are some very clever ways on interconnecting the storylines and the overall affect is amazing. I highly recommend this book for readers who like historical fiction and a well written story.

★★★★★ Amazing historical fiction
Donna K
"Imagine a world without art, without music, dancing, without the things we do not really need. It would not be a world worth living in.” The dual time line, and four main characters kept me totally immersed throughout the book. I connected with this book on so many levels; it's emphasis on the importance and preservation of the arts, the story of the woman Leonardo da Vinci painted in Lady with an Ermine, and the incredible work of the Monuments Men during World War II. The author focuses on the many atrocities in World War II, both perpetrated and intended by Hitler and the Third Reich. Through Dominic and Edith, she focuses on various aspects of World War II, from D-Day to Hitler's final defeat. The author skillfully blends the two timelines, and also brings life to the resilient, beautiful woman portrayed by Leonardo da Vinci in his famous painting, as well as a glimpse of the genius and personality that was Leonardo! I thoroughly enjoyed the book!!

★★★★★ Well worth reading this GREAT work by Laura Morelli
A. Bennett
When I started reading this novel by Laura Morelli, I was not prepared for the enormous scope, historical importance and research the author has accomplished with this work. I have loved her other novels but this one surpasses all of them. I suppose because art is near and dear to my heart, especially the old masters and because I was raised in Europe, this novel was especially meaningful to me. What I particularly liked was that it is based on historical facts and so meticulously researched. Many of the characters were developed from actual people who were part of the Nazi regime looting millions of art works from many occupied countries.
I simply LOVED this novel and don’t often give a five star review, but if there were more stars available I would give it the highest rating.

Lest we never forget, the author has been able to masterfully bring to life how the Nazis stole the national pride of so many countries and murdered their citizens, all to amass the great works of art for themselves. I would not only recommend this work highly but I’d say if you like well written historical fiction, run out to buy this. You will not be sorry!

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Product Details

Publisher: William Morrow | Harper Collins

Paperback:  460 pages

ISBN-13: 978-0062993-57-1

Dimensions: 5.31 x 0.79 x 8 inches

Binding: Perfect

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