BOTTICELLI'S APPRENTICE

Set in Italy during the Renaissance, this graphic novel introduces readers to Mella, a young girl who works at Sandro Botticelli’s painting studio.

Because girls and women aren’t allowed to be members of the artists’ guild or even to be apprentices, Mella is only allowed to clean brushes and tend the chickens at the maestro’s studio. But Mella loves to draw and has a real talent for it. When Datus, Botticelli’s junior apprentice, takes her drawing and passes it off as his own, he and Mella have a spat that tests their previously teasing, humorous friendship. But as they learn to respect each other’s needs, they strike a bargain: Datus will teach Mella how to prepare gesso panels, construct brushes, and mix egg tempera paints, and Mella will teach him how to draw. This story provides fascinating instructions on making paints and brushes that will inspire artistically minded readers, and it showcases the indomitable will of young women who lived in a time when they had defined—and, for the most part, subservient—roles in society. The book’s panels cleverly use a color palette that harks back to the natural pigment colors available in the 15th century, with the artwork accurately depicting historical settings and costumes.

Charming and inspiring: an empowering feminist story enlivened by historically accurate artistic techniques.