Bill Lawson

The Garden of Love Bill Lawson

Contemporary with a ruling family of pompous illegitimates The Garden of Love is an early Renaissance painting, attributed to Antonio Vivarini (1415-1480), that is shrouded in mystery. It could be about romantic love, or the biblical Eve or perhaps it is disguised comment on the sexual mores of the time or....? It certainly is unlike any of his other work, and over time, various changes have been made to the painting, including the removal of a male figure. This historical fiction imagines a possible creation of The Garden of Love and traces its hazardous journey to post World War 2 Australia, where it is displayed today in the National Gallery of Victoria.