The Marriage Portrait Summary

The Marriage Portrait is a coming-of-age novel that follows Lucrezia's life. O'Farrell navigates Lucrezia's childhood and her marriage to Alfonso. As a child, Lucrezia spent most of her time alone to avoid her sisters' persistent mockery. To keep herself busy, Lucrezia painted pictures and studied several storybooks. Lucrezia's father, Cosmo, was a strict man who never allowed his children to walk freely in the palazzo.

One day, Lucrezia overheard her father planning to marry her off to Alfonso, the Duke of Ferrara. Lucrezia shared the secret with her nurse, Sofia, who advised her to lie that she had never menstruated to evade the marriage. Societal customs did not allow men to marry girls who had not seen their monthly periods. The marriage was postponed when Lucrezia told her father she was yet to see her periods. Blood was spotted on Lucrezia's dress a year later, and the marriage preparations continued.

Lucrezia felt besieged by her new status as the Duchess of Ferrara during the wedding day. After the wedding, Alfonso and Ferrara went on a honeymoon to celebrate their union. On the way to their honeymoon, Lucrezia fell asleep, and when she woke up, she found her husband missing. Emilia comforted Lucrezia that Alfonso was ahead, waiting for her in the castle. As Lucrezia struggled to understand her role as the Duchess of Ferrara, she hoped that Alfonso would be a loving and caring husband.

In the first years of her marriage, Lucrezia tried to conceive but in vain. Alfonso recruited a doctor to help his wife conceive. The doctor advised Lucrezia to change her diet and lifestyle to conceive, but this did not improve her fertility. Later, Alfonso organized a private retreat with his wife to Stellata. However, Lucrezia became suspicious of her husband's intentions. Lucrezia thought her husband intended to kill her. Alfonso tried to poison Lucrezia, but she avoided the trap because she secretly saw him putting poison in her food. The novel ends when Emilia and other castle employees help Lucrezia to escape through the kitchen door to avoid the wrath of Alfonso.