Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo

Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo is a 2016 historical fiction novel by Stephanie Storey. Storey is an American novelist, television producer, and art historian. The novel, set in Renaissance Florence, is a fictionalized retelling of the rivalry between the artists Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.

This guide uses the 2018 Arcade Publishing edition.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide feature depictions of unconventional sexual orientation.

Plot Summary

In 1499, renowned artist Leonardo da Vinci inspects his famous fresco The Last Supper. The pigment is crumbling, and he worries about the legacy he’ll leave. He begins addressing the crowd, but his speech is interrupted by the return of Duke Lodovico Sforza to Milan. The duke brings with him an army to take back control of the city. Leonardo flees Milan.

In 1500, young sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti attends the unveiling of his statue, a colossal depiction of Mary cradling Jesus Christ. He worked tirelessly on it for two years, exhausting himself. While the crowd reacts well to the statue, they don’t credit Michelangelo. In desperation, he carves his name into the base of the statue. Rather than remain in Rome, where the corrupt pope is funding wars through his illegitimate son, Cesare Borgia, Michelangelo decides to return home to Florence. In Mantua, Leonardo is working for a local aristocrat. Borgia tries to recruit him as a wartime engineer. Leonardo declines and, rather than lingering in Mantua, decides to return to Florence with his assistant, Salaì, even though he swore he would never return.

Michelangelo returns to Florence in 1501 and reunites with his old friend Granacci, who tells him about a competition to carve the famous Duccio Stone. Though the competition seems set to be won by Leonardo, Michelangelo hopes to prove himself to the old master and win the competition, thus announcing himself in his hometown. When he introduces himself to Leonardo, however, the fashionable, charming Leonardo mocks the scruffy, workmanlike Michelangelo. Enraged, Michelangelo swears to win the commission. Later, Leonardo wonders whether he acted too rashly, but he’s absorbed in his favorite passion: his flying machines.

Michelangelo’s family doesn’t want him to enter the competition. His father looks down on sculpture as a profession. Nevertheless, Michelangelo rushes to the hall where the presentation is being held. He has a showdown with Leonardo, as the two artists lay out competing visions for the block of marble. Michelangelo wins but immediately feels the pressure now upon him. Preoccupied, Leonardo has a chance encounter with a mysterious woman in a market. She disappears before he can ask her name. Michelangelo struggles for inspiration, especially when his idea for a statue of Hercules is deemed too pagan and city officials request an image of the biblical David instead. The rivalry between Michelangelo and Leonardo intensifies, and they exchange insults. Desperate for inspiration, Michelangelo dissects corpses, an illegal practice. Leonardo searches unsuccessfully for the mysterious woman and tests his flying machines, only to crash into Cesare Borgia’s scouting party, chasing them away.

By 1502, Michelangelo has spent months working on his statue of David. He gives his salary to his family, but they throw him out when his brother reveals that he’s dissecting corpses. Meanwhile, young diplomat Niccolo Machiavelli manipulates Leonardo into presenting a list of suggestions for Florence’s defenses to protect against Borgia. The city council deems these plans too expensive, and Machiavelli is sent to bribe Borgia instead. Leonardo tracks down the mysterious woman from the market: Madonna Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, the wife of a merchant. Rather than accepting a commission to paint her from the merchant, however, Leonardo instead accepts an offer to work as a wartime engineer for Borgia. This shocks many Florentines, who believe he betrayed his city.

The violence of warfare traumatizes Leonardo. Meanwhile, Michelangelo is finally inspired to settle on a design. He realizes, however, that his statue must symbolize all of Florence, placing great pressure on him to impress his fellow Florentines. Leonardo begins to worry that he must defeat Michelangelo, lest he lose his reputation as an artist and be displaced as the most famous Florentine artist.

Leonardo returns to Florence to resume his competition with Michelangelo. He accepts the commission to paint Mona Lisa, but when she sits for him, she reveals her anger that he betrayed Florence by working for Cesare Borgia. To restore his reputation, Leonardo goes to Machiavelli and asks to be put in charge of Florence’s defenses. He begins work on both the portrait and the design of dams and levees around Florence. A change of popes leads Florentines to worry about their city’s security. Since Leonardo is working on defenses, Mona Lisa forgives him.

Michelangelo works himself to exhaustion on his statue. All that remains is months of polishing, but he’s too sick to continue. His family cares for him, and when the house burns down, Michelangelo promises to give up his art to help his family rebuild their home. Mona Lisa sits for Leonardo, and they develop a profound yet platonic friendship. Leonardo hopes that by painting her portrait, he can give her what she finally wants: to be recognized as herself, rather than who she is relative to someone else.

After many months, Granacci convinces Michelangelo to return to work on the sculpture. A debate is held on where to place the statue, and Leonardo advocates a hidden spot, which will diminish Michelangelo’s glory. Eventually, Michelangelo successfully convinces the city council to place his David right outside the civic hall. Leonardo, annoyed, vents to Salaì that someone should destroy the statue. Michelangelo begins to polish the David but worries about how to transport the massive but delicate statue from his workshop to the piazza. Leonardo continues to work on his defense projects for Florence. By damming the Arno, he believes, he can make a preemptive strike against the enemy city of Pisa. Though the foreman on the project suggests that they increase the stability of the designs, Leonardo insists that his designs will hold.

The transport of the David is delayed by torrential rain, which causes Leonardo’s levees to break, flooding Florence. Many people die. Leonardo is shocked by the damage resulting from his arrogant plans. Tormented by guilt, he dedicates all his time to finishing the portrait of Mona Lisa. He wants to capture her soul and allow her to be the center of everybody’s attention, at least for a little while.

When the moving of the David stops for the night, vandals attack and throw stones. Michelangelo fears that the statue will be damaged. Soderini blames pro-Medici supporters, but Salaì reveals that he and a gang of friends attacked the David, acting on Leonardo’s orders. Leonardo is shocked that Salaì misinterpreted his comments. The vandal attacks stop, and Michelangelo moves his undamaged statue into the piazza for a grand unveiling. All of Florence gathers for the big event, but Leonardo dwells on the recent death of his estranged father and his unrequited love for Mona Lisa. In a pique of desperation, he tries one of his flying machines but crashes and injures himself. While he recovers, he finishes the portrait, capturing Mona Lisa’s mysterious, alluring smile. The portrait is put on show for a short time, and people praise Leonardo’s genius. Before the David is unveiled, Michelangelo views the Mona Lisa and is astounded by Leonardo’s brilliance. He goes into hiding, but Granacci tempts him to come out for the unveiling of his statue.

Leonardo takes his portrait to Giocondo, but at the last second, he decides to keep the painting for himself. The David statue is revealed and receives universal praise; Leonardo quietly sketches the statue to show his respect for Michelangelo’s artistry.