I discovered the existence of this little book back in December, and ordered it on the instant… After which it took more than a month for it to arrive – thanks to the dismal Italian post service – but it was well worth the wait. Imagined Lives: Portraits of Unknown People– published by the National Portrait Gallery in 2011, is truly a gem.

Just imagine a museum putting together eight novelists and fourteen portraits of unknown sitters from the XVIth and XVIIth century – and commissioning short fictional character sketches… Continue reading →