The Colour Storm: The compelling and spellbinding story of art and betrayal in Renaissance Venice

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We provide warnings up to seven days ahead for rain, thunderstorms, wind, snow, lightning, ice, extreme heat and fog. Listed in the Visual Arts category on Art In Fiction, The Color Storm (2022) is a novel of Renaissance Venice by Damian Dibben. The Colour Storm is set during the Italian renaissance, a time of art and creativity but also violence and treason. The main protagonist, Giorgione Barbarelli, or Zorzo to his friends is an artist trying to make a living doing what he does best, painting. But competition is rife which means his life and livelihood is often hanging on by a thread. He even resorts to pawning his relative’s ring to make ends meet.

Another thing that I want to mention is how surprised I was by some of the plot twists of the story. Some of them had me reeling, they were so unexpected. But I do love being surprised by stories! Also need to shout out the character of Leda. Another surprise because I hadn't expected to end up loving her as much when I first met her in the book but she was incredible. A self-made woman in 16th century Italy with her own growing business, how could I not admire and love that. Enter the world of Renaissance Venice, where the competition for fame and fortune can mean life or death... There is no denying how hauntingly beautiful this story is. The author paints a picture of the setting so clearly, the beauty of its architecture, the stench, the sheer realism of it is mesmerizing.

Always keep up to date with the latest forecast from the Met Office. Additional advice and information from the Met Office I first heard of this book from a wonderful friend of mine, whom I met on Bookstagram but can now say is a true friend after meeting her in real life. I can’t deny that the first thing which attracted me to this book was the cover, I mean seriously, look at it. It is a work of art in its own right. But, after reading the blurb and discovering it was set in Italy, I was further drawn to it. When painters were so charged with purpose, so voracious, so rebellious against everything that had gone before, that they described the age as a colour storm.’ Color. It’s all color,” says Zorzo. “That’s where it begins and ends. Venetians understand. Color is mood, love, sorrow, life. Color is what the world is built of.”

This is a compelling and spellbinding story set in Renaissance Venice and centered around a great painter who is searching for a new colour to make his mark upon history. Słowa mają moc przenoszenia nas do miejsc, których nigdy nie odwiedziliśmy, i wprowadzania nas w światy, które istnieją tylko w wyobraźni. W swojej najnowszej powieści Damian Dibben czyni te słowa mostem do magicznego świata, gdzie kolory ożywają, prowadząc czytelnika w podróż przez czas i przestrzeń. An engaging thriller and a compelling exploration of an artist's obsession with love and colour". THE SUNDAY TIMES Anyone that knows me, knows I love all things Italian, especially the food, and the fact that this is set in a place I have always wanted to visit, Venice, made it just that much better.

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However, he soon hears about a legend, the Prince Orient, which is supposedly a colour like no other, found in a mine owned by a wealthy businessman. If only he could get this colour, he knows his life would be set. But, when he goes to the house he meets his wife, Sybille instead, a quiet, seemingly timid woman. Once he has won a commission to paint a portrait of his wife, he thinks he is on course to acquiring the sought-after colour. Instead, he finds himself in a conspiracy of treachery, abuse and underlying currents of a bigger threat. Yellow and Amber warnings represent a range of impact levels and likelihoods. This means it is important to read each warning to know what level of impact you can expect for your chosen warning area – and how likely those impacts are to occur. This is such a glorious piece of historical fiction which I was utterly enthralled by. It’s gripping and I felt like I was walking the streets of 16th Century Italy, it is full of light and colour and keeps you on your toes. I went off down several rabbit holes because these were real people who lived and breathed and this telling is fascinating. the impact matrix – showing the combination of the level of impact forecast and the likelihood of those impacts occurring. This book completely absorbed me into 16th century Italy, famous painters, love and above all, colour. This book is full of it in every sense. I found this story intriguing - the mystery of this unknown new pigment brought to Italy by the richest man in Europe. We follow Giorgione ‘Zorzo’ Barbarelli, an artist whose career hangs in the balance, commissioned to paint a portrait of this man’s wife, Sybille. Thinking to be in favour he is embroiled in conspiracy, becoming ever more desperate, will this woman be the key to his success or downfall?

Atmospheric and suspenseful, The Colour Storm is an intoxicating story of art and ambition, love and obsession in Renaissance Venice . . .Discover the 2023 Winner of the Historical Writers' Association Gold Crown Award – an atmospheric and suspenseful tale of intoxicating art and dizzying ambition, forbidden love and twisted obsession in Renaissance Venice – Damian Dibben's kaleidescopic The Colour Storm I was captivated from the beginning' Rachel Joyce, bestselling author of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry The Color Storm is a romance. It’s about the love of art, the painters’ love of color, as well as the love between a man and woman. For a visual reader, this book will delight. The first half of the book is heavy with description. Author Damian Dibben vividly describes color from the perspective of an artist. Additionally, historic Venice comes to life with Mr. Dibben’s writing. Some weather situations will bring impacts from more than one type of weather. This could include a storm when impacts from both wind and rain may bring disruption. When this happens, a dual warning will be issued.

The Colour Storm is the story of the Italian painter Giorgio Barbarelli, who lived and worked in Venice during the Renaissance. He was a real person, as are many of the other characters in the novel, and you may already be familiar with his paintings – if not, you can easily find images online of some of the pieces attributed to him which will give you an idea of the quality of his work. The story is poetic and tragic, with a great twist. My only gripe would be the slow pacing, there was a lot of build up at the beginning and that could have been shortened and my interest held further. Atmospheric and suspenseful, and filled with the famous artists of the era, The Colour Storm is an intoxicating story of art and ambition, love and obsession in Renaissance Venice. Extreme Heat Warning – an impact-based warning designed to highlight the potential impacts of extreme heat to protect lives and property, helping people make better decisions to stay safe and thrive.

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Enter the world of Renaissance Venice, where the competition for fame and fortune can mean life or death … And, so this was bittersweet, but I definitely felt swept up in the world of the story and the author’s writing. I can recommend it to historical fiction lovers, lovers of art and the renaissance and those who like historical intrigue.