Botticelli's Apprentice
“The themes of creativity, mentorship, and self-confidence are beautifully explored, and the graphic novel is filled with positive messages about the importance of persistence and staying true to one's artistic identity.”
The story of Botticelli’s Apprentice centers around Mella, aka the Chicken Girl, who serves the Botticelli family—as in Sandro Botticelli (1445–1510)—in Florence, Italy. As a young lady, Mella is prohibited by law from being an official apprentice to any artist in the male-only Guild system. Instead of performing the tasks that are more suited to her artistic talents, she is relegated to washing brushes, bickering with Datus (the “real” apprentice), and caring for the chicken flocks.
Mella is clearly not satisfied with her station in life and is not content to sit still, passively enduring the gender gaps. Taking advantage of a mistake made by Datus in the artist’s studio, Mella jumps at the opportunity to do something different: She volunteers to run an errand for the maestro. Demonstrating her feisty negotiating savvy, Mella banters with the powdered pigment vendor at the local market. She haggles terms with the determination of an empowered intellect and walks away with opportunities galore. Not only does she procure the lapis she was sent for, she scores drawing paper and charcoal for herself.
Before returning to the studio, Mella takes a lunch break at the town square, perches herself on a bench, and looks around for a subject to draw. A young, skinny gray dog befriends her and she decides to use her as a model. Mella makes her way back to the maestro with the lapis, her drawings (kept secret), and the dog, Blue, that she also tried to keep secret. The moment Mella is back at her chores, Blue makes herself known, her drawings are discovered, and a complete mess is launched in the studio, wreaking havoc that takes the rest of the book to unwind.
Over time, Mella’s desire to be a painter takes its toll. She feels the weight of her artistic abilities and recoils at a world that will never recognize her as a legitimate painter. Interspersed with the narrative are methods and techniques for creating canvas, paint, and brushes that were prevalent in the Renaissance era. Mella learns these new skill sets from Datus, and they exchange a collegial reverence toward each other when tackling a challenge. During a local competition, Mella finds a support system from a very unconventional benefactor, and her future takes her in a new direction.
The graphic novel format is an interesting storytelling choice. At times the graphics feel in synch with the historical setting, other times it feels like historical fiction is being forced into a modern box. Some illustrations feel tight and overcrowded. In some scenes, like the portions inside Datus’s family atelier, it’s so chaotic that the subtleties are lost until the dialogue explains what’s happening. Most likely the author intended to convey an element of chaos in these scenes, but it risks losing the reader.
The upside to the abundance of illustrations is the dynamic movement they offer in navigating Renaissance Italy. The town squares, the buildings, the food, the clothing, the painting techniques, are all vibrant and beautifully conveyed, giving the reader an intimate feel for the art world while maintaining a playful, accessible tone for young readers. Each setting—the maestro studio, the rural farm, the market square, the Mona Rosso estate—carries its own personality. The variety helps dictate the pace of the story telling, offering interest and intrigue to keep the pages turning.
One of the most charming aspects of Botticelli’s Apprentice is the character development. Mella starts off feeling like a fish out of water, overqualified, and frustrated by a world that feels suffocating and unfair. Over time, she finds there are options available to her that she had been blinded to. Her journey of self-exploration is inspiring and relatable, especially for young readers who are trying to navigate their own creative interests or dream of doing something bold and ambitious.
The themes of creativity, mentorship, and self-confidence are beautifully explored, and the graphic novel is filled with positive messages about the importance of persistence and staying true to one's artistic identity. This is an imaginative, thoughtful read that will not only entertain but also inspire young readers to believe in themselves and the value of their creativity.