I wasn’t sure about giving it 5 stars, but ultimately I did because of what this book make me feel. I was completely fascinated by the story throughout, there was a distinctive tension that kept me wanting to read more. I liked the depiction of life in the 1600s, it felt true to the hardship that people of all classes would face. I also liked that the artist is such an enigmatic figure who sees the world for what it could be on a canvas, and I think the resolution of the story is the most satisfactory. Plus I think I was drawn to this book just because I love art, I wish there was a fictional story about every work of art out there cause I would eat it up.