Travelling with Gershom

In the Wreckhouse Membertou Birches Sicilian Afternoon Hanging on in South Dildo

This is an extraordinary book. Not something I say very often, but this is a book that stimulates the mind, heart, and soul. Ward crafts a compelling narrative that shifts from 17 th century Naples to the late 20 th century version, linking them through the creation of Caravaggio’s The Seven Acts of Mercy and its impact on viewers today. He tells the story of how Caravaggio ended up in Naples and of the commissioning of this magnificent painting, interwoven with a fictionalised account of the life and creative process of the artist that rings true. The Guardian of Mercy is also the account of the transformative impact of this painting on an ordinary, simple man, and of its effect on a family and on the author and his wife. This is personal, intimate, and compelling stuff, written with a contagious passion for Caravaggio, the painting, and Angelo, the guardian of the title, that draws you unrelentingly back to the seven acts depicted in the artwork. Ward breaks the painting