The King's Engraver
Formats: E-Book, Paperback
Ages: 18+
In the louche art world of 18th century London and Paris, William Wynne Ryland is the most brilliant engraver but will his talents lead to riches or to the scaffold?
The British King, George III and Queen Charlotte demand his services. The French have other plans for him. His only choice is to seek his fortune in a shadow world of spies and sharp-dealers.
The King's Engraver is inspired by the life story of a supremely talented man feted in both Georgian London and pre-revolutionary Paris. But these are challenging times. France and Britain are rivals in art and war. William weaves his way between fearful threats of invasion and the promise of fortunes to be made where art and money meet.
Enjoy this tale of one man and two cities, featuring an international cast of characters from the Comte de Broglie, the head of Louis XV's secret spy network to Angelica Kauffmann, one of only two female founders of the Royal Academy.
Reviews
***** Loved this book. The writing pulled me in and made it hard to stop reading, and the story was very memorable. I often have to pause and go back and re-read the first few chapters once I get about half way through a book, to fully understand the story. The first chapters were clear in my mind all the way through. Enjoyed the artistic scene of the late 17 hundreds, and learning about some historical figures I did and did not recognize.
***** Really engrossing tale weaving together so many threads of the history of the world at that time in London and Paris. Such an incredible story based on a real person!
