The Tuscan Master

"A book that shows that ordinary lives, half-successful lives, even failed lives, can be lit with glory. At the end I was weeping with happiness. A beautiful, subtle, and very loving book” – William Nicholson, author of Shadowlands starring Anthony Hopkins.

“The Tuscan Master is a wonderful book. Anyone who has ever painted, written, filmed, or just grown older, will empathise with Tullio – truly a great piece of character creation” – David Attwood, Director of Stuart: A Life Backwards starring Benedict Cumberbatch.

Once one of Italy’s most celebrated young artists, success has since eluded Tullio D’Attore. Struggling to make ends meet in middle age, he also works as a tour guide specialising in the Italian Renaissance – a role in which he soon builds up a dedicated following. Meanwhile, a strange young artist – Giuliano Amedei – moves into an apartment in the Palazzo Lanzi, where Tullio lives with his wife, Claudia.

Soon, Giuliano has persuaded Claudia to sit to for him – and begins producing a magnificent series of portraits. To the sound of Giuliano’s cello echoing through the old Palazzo, Tullio’s story is played out to its moving end.