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Virginia Crow
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Ronan Beckman
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Masterworks: Historical Short Fiction Inspired by Works of Art Kindle Edition

by Stephanie Churchill (Author), Ronan Beckman (Author), Virginia Crow (Author), Format: Kindle Edition
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Strolling through an art gallery gives art appreciators a glimpse at the heart of creativity artists from across time and distance have poured onto canvas, into clay, through wood, metal, and stone. Art inspires us and helps us connect with emotions and ideas. But have you ever wondered what inspired the artists themselves? Perhaps it was a loved one, a moment of suffering or despair, a celebration, or a victory. Have you ever wondered what stories these works tell?

We asked the authors of the Historical Writers Forum these questions, to imagine what stories might be revealed in the history of famous works of art. Through their short stories, you will be transported back in time to the magnificence of works of art from ancient Mesopotamia to nineteenth century America, exploring the people, events, and emotions that may have inspired incredible works of art.

This anthology from Historical Writers Forum includes the following short stories:
A Našû for Ilu
Stephanie Churchill

Proof of the Old Faith
Virginia Crow

La Belle Dame sans Merci
Kathleen Guler

Blood on White Mountain
Eleanor Swift-Hook

The Lacemaker’s Son
Melissa Speed

The Portrait
Lars D.H. Hedbor

The Ambassadress
Ronan Beckman

A Good and Proper Lunacy
Tempest Wright

Portrait of a Lady
Joanne Major

The Watcher on the Wall
Gareth Williams

Legacy
Samantha Wilcoxson
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  1. Print length
    324 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publication date
    1 Nov. 2023
  5. File size
    851 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
6 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the stories excellent and the historical context well-represented. They also appreciate the attention to historical detail.

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Historical contextStories
3 customers mention ‘Historical context’3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the historical context and detail. They also appreciate the chronological range represented and the range of stories, each inspired by a very different work of art.

"...eleven such tales interwoven with my other passion, well researched historical fiction...." Read more

"...stories which all have one thing in common: they are all inspired by historic works of art...." Read more

"...I was impressed by the chronological range represented and the attention to historical detail...." Read more

3 customers mention ‘Stories’3 positive0 negative

Customers find the stories excellent and stick in their minds.

"...The short stories really brought the paintings to life (I googled all the paintings)...." Read more

"...But out of all these excellent tales, the one that will stick in my memory is Gareth Williams’s personification of the Shakespeare Chandos Portrait...." Read more

"This is a compilation of eleven fabulously varied stories which all have one thing in common: they are all inspired by historic works of art...." Read more

Art-Inspired Artistry
5 out of 5 stars
Art-Inspired Artistry
This is a compilation of eleven fabulously varied stories which all have one thing in common: they are all inspired by historic works of art. Some are set contemporaneously to their artwork's creation, some look back, and others explore the connection and legacy of the artwork for future generations. This gives the book a range of 5,000 years of history for the reader to enjoy.As a product, the book is easy to handle, written in a reader-friendly font and very attractive.📚
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Top reviews from United Kingdom

Jen Luff
5.0 out of 5 stars Simple ideas have the best outcome.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 June 2024
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Authors choose their favourite painting and imagine a story to go with it.

It took me two days to read this entire book, which was fabulous! The short stories really brought the paintings to life (I googled all the paintings). It would have been better if the paintings had been on the front cover of each section.
I personally know 1 of the authors, and you did a grand job, Mrs Speed.
I hope there are more of these style books to come.
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Kate Jewell
4.0 out of 5 stars Masterworks – the picture fuels the story
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 November 2023
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Having had an Art & Design education I have been looking forward to Historical Writers Forum’s latest anthology; reading and, indeed writing stories inspired by art is just up my street. This book delivers eleven such tales interwoven with my other passion, well researched historical fiction. That these stories aren’t exclusively inspired by paintings was an added bonus to this excellent collection. It is difficult to choose favourites because they are all so different, and each author skilfully crafts their own picture of the events inspired by the artwork they have chosen.

Stephanie Churchill’s “A Našû for Ilu” was an absorbing introduction to the collection and I was instantly immersed in an era of history I know very little about. I particularly enjoyed “La Belle Dame sans Merci” by Kathleen Guler; this story felled two birds with one stone, as my favourite historical period is the later middle ages and, as a student, I was enthralled by the Victorian Pre-Raphaelite painters. The 17th century 30 Years War is becoming a growing interest and Eleanor Swift-Hook’s “Blood on White Mountain” brought to life the turmoil at the start of this conflict. “The Ambassadress”, Ronan Beckman’s insightful look into how Nelson’s mistress, Lady Emma Hamilton, appears in so many paintings, had the capacity to tug at my emotions; I could really feel the portraitist George Romney’s growing despair. But out of all these excellent tales, the one that will stick in my memory is Gareth Williams’s personification of the Shakespeare Chandos Portrait. I was captivated by the humour, sarcasm and understanding, as the subject in the painting comments on visitors who have chosen to stop and contemplate him during his 167-decade residence in London’s National Portrait Gallery.

The only criticism I have is there are no illustrations of the inspiring works of art. I am fully aware that this would increase the publishing price and obtaining reproduction rights can be prohibitive. The majority of the authors do introduce us fully to their artistic ‘muse’, but a link or two to where I could find images would have been welcome, as it took me quite a while to track some of the less well-known ones down.
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Stomper McEwan
5.0 out of 5 stars Art-Inspired Artistry
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 November 2023
Verified Purchase
This is a compilation of eleven fabulously varied stories which all have one thing in common: they are all inspired by historic works of art. Some are set contemporaneously to their artwork's creation, some look back, and others explore the connection and legacy of the artwork for future generations. This gives the book a range of 5,000 years of history for the reader to enjoy.

As a product, the book is easy to handle, written in a reader-friendly font and very attractive.
📚
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Stomper McEwan
5.0 out of 5 stars Art-Inspired Artistry
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 November 2023
This is a compilation of eleven fabulously varied stories which all have one thing in common: they are all inspired by historic works of art. Some are set contemporaneously to their artwork's creation, some look back, and others explore the connection and legacy of the artwork for future generations. This gives the book a range of 5,000 years of history for the reader to enjoy.

As a product, the book is easy to handle, written in a reader-friendly font and very attractive.
📚
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napoleonwins
4.0 out of 5 stars A diverse and entertaining anthology
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2023
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As I contributed one of the eleven historical short stories featured in this anthology, I read it with particular interest. I was struck by the range of stories, each inspired by a very different work of art. For some, the artwork was central to the story while for others, it simply provided a jumping off point.
I was impressed by the chronological range represented and the attention to historical detail. It is always a pleasure to discover new writers and an anthology provides the opportunity to do this over and over again.
My favourite story was The Ambassadress by Roman Beckman in which he conjures the passionate and poignant relationship between artist and sitter set in 1791. He makes a strong case for George Romney’s talents as a portrait painter and depicts his muse as an irresistible figure forged in difficult circumstances.
There should be something for most lovers of historical fiction in this collection.
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