What the Ermine Saw

Praise

FINALIST FOR THE 2022 MARFIELD PRIZE

“With. . .dizzying effect, Collinsworth—a former Hearst executive and now a think-tank chief of staff—vaults between granular detail and grand context. What the Ermine Saw bolts through wars and empires, art-making and state-making across the continent in the last 500 years.” –New York Times Book Review

“What the Ermine Saw is a glorious picaresque of unbridled passions and unmitigated scoundrels. Eden Collinsworth takes us on a glorious romp through the great palaces and palazzos of Europe as she traces the extraordinary adventures of one of Leonardo da Vinci’s greatest masterpieces.” –Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire

“Collinsworth unwinds a thoroughly captivating story about a single painting. . .Filled with beauty, passion, greed, and evil, Collinsworth’s search is a spirited art history yarn.” –Kirkus Reviews

“Collinsworth conveys the vicissitudes of European history and the enduring fascination of da Vinci’s work. . . this is an entertaining and accessible study of a masterpiece.” –Publishers Weekly

“Collinsworth brings it all together and makes the story accessible and juicy, reveling in the more sordid details of courtly life and general scandal. . . Art lovers and history buffs will enjoy this fast-paced, entertaining romp from the Renaissance to the present day, focusing on one painting by one of the world’s most famous, intriguing, and mysterious artists.” –Library Journal

“Among the felicities of Ms. Collinsworth’s book is its cast of appealing and sympathetic women who carved their own identities and public profiles to attain their aims. . .In recounting the portrait’s tale, Ms. Collinsworth proves herself a skilled portraitist in her own right.” –Wall Street Journal

“Almost all the key events of modern Europe were seen through the eyes of this painting, which Collinsworth vividly brings to life in her writing. . .Collinsworth’s fantastic book is a testament, for those with the eyes to see, of that ancient and enduring truth that beauty cannot be destroyed.” –Merion West