When Marco is accepted as a junior apprentice to young Michelangelo Buonarroti, he is excited and fearful. His father, a chemist, has trained him to mix his secret formulas for artists’ colours, but Marco knows that Michelangelo is a temperamental master. When Michelangelo is summoned to Rome by the Pope to paint the Sistine Chapel, Marco knows that only one apprentice will accompany him. In desperation, Marco mixes one very special colour for Michelangelo – emerald green. The artist loves the rare colour but demands the formula, and Marco faces a tough choice.

This gripping story evokes a fascinating episode in the history of art and in the early career of the great Michelangelo. Marco’s hopes and fears are well depicted, as are the mercurial emotions of the artist. The duplicitous Ridolfo, a rival apprentice, is particularly well developed; his words and actions keep both Marco and the reader off-balance.

Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson’s vivid illustrations capture both the historical texture of Renaissance Florence and the complex moods of the characters, conveying emotion through numerous close-ups. The brilliant colours contrast with the earth tones of the stone buildings and Michelangelo’s roughed-in frescoes in the background. This book provides wonderful insight into a crucial moment in the history of Western art.