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

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This was an incredible feat of artistic brilliance and physical endurance, achieved by a someone who was a true genius but personally difficult and far from pleasant. A rich, emotional journey through the Renaissance, while being a real page-turner as the author explores the lengths people will go to in the hunt for colour. Instead he finds himself caught up in a conspiracy that stretches across Europe and a marriage coming apart inside one of the city’s most illustrious palazzos. His latest, THE COLOUR STORM, a love story and thriller set in the art world of the renaissance, is published by MichaelJoseph/Penguin in the UK in June 2022 and HarperCollins in the US this September.

You are never in doubt of Zorzo’s best intentions – he has been written very strongly as a character and for me the most fascinating and absorbing moments are when he is talking to his apprentices abut his work and what he expects them to do.With the in depth description, the atmosphere of the time period as well as the art world is brought out.

However, as he gets to know Sybille, the merchant’s wife, he finds himself drawn into danger, intrigue, and passion. The story reads like a film and the Dibben has given special attention to his exploration of “colour’s hidden dimensions and how everything is constantly at play in the mind’s eye. Generally, if you paint on top of BAUWERK Prep Coat, 1 litre of limewash paint will cover 6m² (65ft²).The author’s way of describing colors opens up a new world for the reader: a new way to see everyday colors.

Overall, I was fascinated by the colourful descriptions and the portrait of what life was like in Venice in the 16th century that Dibben evokes in The Colour Storm – but for me I feel the story itself was a little bit lost and didn’t feel completely satisfactory. The descriptions of the often stark world of the artist and those who apprenticed in the artist’s studio, the intrigue both political and personal surrounding the wealthy patrons and the artists in their sphere, and of course the personal relationships and characters who peopled The Color Storm particularly Zorzo.

I was entranced by the idea of mining minerals that are so rich in themselves with such a brilliant life hidden in them. 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 – capturing a moment of artistic invention that echoes through the centuries.

Giorgione’s legacy, however, has been overshadowed by that of his friend and pupil, Titian, whose long life and powerful ambition enabled him to become one of the most productive and famous artists of the sixteenth century. You can safely paint your home without any fear of breathing in fumes that are harmful to you or your children.We colour our Limewash with natural pigments, this makes our colours completely different, as when light hits the wall the colours look like no other. I've not read anything by Damian Dibben before, but this was one of those books that after a few pages, you know you're in the hands of a very accomplished author.