Leonardo's Shadow: Or, My Astonishing Life as Leonardo Da Vinci's Servant

by Christopher Peter Grey

Book Overview

Milan, 1497. The height of the Renaissance. And for Giacomo, servant of the famous painter Leonardo da Vinci, it's the most difficult time of all. His Master has been working on the Last Supper, his greatest painting ever, for nearly two years. But has he finished it? He's barely started! The all-powerful Duke of Milan is demanding that it be completed by the time the Pope visits at Easter. And Giacomo knows that if Leonardo doesn't pick up...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416905448
• ISBN13: 9781416905448
• Release Date: March 2008
• Publisher: Atheneum Books
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.8" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 12 to 15 years
• Grade Range: Grades 7 to 10

Customer Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Leonardo da Vinci hasn't worked on the fresco of the Last Supper in two years. His supporters are most unhappy with his progress. Payments for da Vinci have stopped, but that does not stop the da Vinci household from running up debts all over town. The shopkeepers are starting to refuse more credit on his accounts. The Duke of Milan and da Vinci have a history of playful disagreements. However, the Duke makes no secret that he's asked the rival artist Michaelangelo to town. With threats at his doorstep and the Pope coming to the chapel in the near future, da Vinci gets to work. LEONARDO'S SHADOW shares the story of the creation of the Last Supper through the eyes of da Vinci's servant, Giacomo. Grey spins a wonderful tale of historical fiction for anyone who's interested in the Italian Renaissance. Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

A Trip Back in time!

Giacomo has no recollection of his past since the day he fell from the top of Milan's Cathedral. Thank goodness Leonardo da Vinci was there to rescue him from the fall as well as the mob chasing him. That is how Giacomo came to be Leonardo's servant...pure chance. Leonardo da Vinci is contracted by the Duke of Milan, to paint the most amazing mural that eyes will ever behold; The Last Supper. It has been almost two years since the first brush stroke, and not many more have been made since then. The Duke grows tired of waiting and warnes da Vinci that the painting must be done by Easter for the Pope, and if not then he will hire Michelangelo to finish the Last Supper. The Duke also lays threat to Giacomo, and if the information is not reported to the Duke within a week, who knows what lay in wait for poor Giacomo. Giacomo seeks answers from his Master, regarding his past, his parents, and the three items he had the day Leonardo saved him. But to no avail his Master will not speak. There are secrets hidden that will surface all in due time. When the carriage bearing the same emblem as the medallion Giacomo has passes in front of him, he grows even more curious of his past. Can Giacomo betray his Master to the Duke in hopes of saving himself from a beating as well as find the answers he most desperately seeks? Or will he be true to Leonardo da Vinci and suffer the consequences? Giacomo seeks many answers throughout this book, come and discover what secrets he may find. Mr. Grey captivates me with the extraordinary characters painted in this book. Leonardo's Shadow was an experience in the life of Leonardo da Vinci's servant that I am sure not to forget. All through this book there were twists and turns that will keep you biting your nails and on the edge of your seat. Mr. Grey deems Leonardo's Shadow: Or, My Astonishing Life as Leonardo da Vinci's Servant a fantasy book for Young Adults, but I enjoyed it very much. It could easily be enjoyed by adults as well. I think Christopher Grey deserves 5 hearts, because I know a lot of research and heart went into this book.

15th Century Milan, Italy comes alive for you

Giacomo is a servant boy without a past. But he's not just anybody's servant. He is Leonardo da Vinci's servant. Master daVinci rescued Giacomo when he was only eight, and he as been a servant to the great painter since. But now it has been two years since da Vinci began work on The Last Supper, and as far as Giacomo can tell, virtually no progress has been made. While creditors come pounding on their door, the Duke of Milan harasses Giacomo and his master, and the great Leonardo da Vinci holes himself up to work on who-knows-what. Will Giacomo find the answers to the many questions that plague him? This fascinating "historical thriller" gives life and breath to Milan at the end of the fifteenth century. Based on an obscure servant mentioned in Leonardo's Notebooks and plenty of gaps in Leonardo da Vinci's life, Grey weaves together a riveting story of what could have been in the years leading up to the completing of Leonardo's masterpiece, The Last Supper. I know very little of this time period or of Leonardo da Vinci's works, but I now find myself wanting to know a great deal more. I couldn't quit turning pages from the first chapter. The only thing that made me want to put down the book was the continual references to art pieces. I need to find a picture of the piece so I really know what he wrote about. One thing I especially enjoyed was that a reproduction of The Last Supper is on the hardcover of the book, without so much as a book title marring its surface so I could flip to it time and time again as he referred to aspects of the painting. If you aren't into art, you will be. Armchair Interviews says: Hands down, this is a great read for young and old alike.

An Exuberant Tale of Courage and Art

- This review first appeared in the February 2007 issue of the Historical Novels Review - The ongoing popularity of Leonardo da Vinci in fiction often obscures his preeminent place as the Renaissance's most gifted and versatile artist. Likewise, the presence of fictional or semi-fictional characters interacting with Leonardo to their own ends usually reduces the artist to a cliché or foil for the plot in question. Fortunately, in Christopher Grey's young adult novel LEONARDO'S SHADOW, these obstacles are delightfully overcome. Though written for the adolescent market, this book has a depth that makes it accessible for older persons interested in Leonardo and 15th century Italy, and is indeed better written than several adult offerings set in the same era. The voice of the novel is Giacomo, a youth without a past rescued by Leonardo and set to work for him as a servant. Giacomo yearns to discover who he truly is, as well as to secretly learn the art of painting (which Leonardo refuses to teach him); but it is his devotion to his master, as well as his wry insight into Leonardo's idiosyncratic temperament and procrastination while working on the The Last Supper, which give the novel its heart. Giacomo's sardonic observations of daily life in Milan and the artist's struggles with penury, his capricious patron Il Moro, and all the clamoring merchants eager to exchange credit for immortality are woven with refreshing wit into a tale that deepens in scope when Giacomo finds himself thrust into a plot to save Leonardo from his own debts. A host of well-drawn characters that include a menacing alchemist, a sage housekeeper, and a lovely discarded ducal mistress, as well as the always imposing but astonishingly human presence of Leonardo himself, only serve to exalt the exuberant soul and courage of a boy who matures into far more than his master's titular shadow.

a finely crafted novel for young and old

I bought this novel for my 12 year old son who's quite interested in art. Unfortunately for him, I held onto it and read it first. It was terrific. Mr. Grey does not write down to his young readers. The book is very well written with plenty of good humor and suspense. The life of Leonardo is indeed an interesting one and the book gives a good sense of the political and artistic pressures on him. Yet,the book is told through the eyes of his young servent,Giacomo, so the narrative is always lively and never bogs down in needless minutia that would simply bore young readers. I've purchased several books for my son and this is one of the best I've bought him. Oh,and yes, he really liked it too!