The Vow
The Vow is a fictionalized autobiography of Angelica Kauffman, a Neoclassical artist who carved out a successful career as a portraitist and history painter in a primarily male-dominated profession. Although she got her start in Venice during the 1760s—barely making ends meet by painting reproductions—a chance encounter with an English noblewoman takes her to London, where she undertakes a number of portrait commissions for the nobility and Queen Charlotte. Together with Sir Joshua Reynolds and other artists of the period, she becomes one of the founding members of the Royal Academy. But a shadow darkens Angelica’s personal life when a mysterious Swedish man masquerading as a count cons himself into her life. Despite her resolve to devote herself to art, and never marry, she takes a most precipitous plunge. Her return to Italy lands her in Rome, where she joins a group of intellectuals that includes Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Their brief connection seems to take on a spiritual significance for Angelica that lasts for the remainder of her life as she contemplates the meaning of love, rejection, betrayal, freedom and the soul.
Author Berman’s background in art comes shining through in lyrical descriptions of Angelica’s creative process and her use of color and composition. An illuminating picture of the 18th-century art world and the role of women also emerges. However, elements of a daytime soap opera begin to creep into the final chapters of the novel, which concludes with Kauffman’s experiences in the afterlife. Readers may question this approach in the portrayal of a woman who overcame obstacles; Kauffman’s paintings can be found in museums and collections all over the world.
