Today's Cover Loveliness
This cover is really rather prescient. Although you can’t tell from Chapter One, there’s a major sub-theme in The Orchid Affair involving the art and the artists of the 1790’s. My heroine grew up in the heart of Europe’s artistic diaspora, while my hero’s (deceased) wife, Julie Jaouen, was a major painter in her own right, a friend of David and a rival to Vigee-LeBrun.
(I’m leaving all these entries anonymous for now, so as not to prejudice the eventual voting, but names will be included when I announce the winners. Everyone okay with that?)
Yep, anonymity sounds good.
I’ve googled Julie Jaouen every which way, curious to what her work looks like and I can’t find anything. Any pointers? Maybe I found a site in French, but my French isn’t that great, ha.
Ooops, sorry! Julie Jaouen is my own invention, based off a composite of various painters of the period. I based her partly off Vigee-LeBrun and Marguerite Giraud– in terms of the whole woman painter bit– although her art and politics are closer to those of David.
Ha ha! Well she’ll be on google soon enough when your book comes out. I’ve enjoyed looking at Vigee-LeBrun. Never heard of her before today, though I’m sure I’ve seen her Marie Antoinette portraits.
Thanks!
I’m so excited for the sub-theme! This was such a wonderful period for art, and so politically charged. I can’t wait for Orchid to hit the shelves!