London is the setting for this historical crime novel, and
art is the topic. George Rowlands helps his father who
paints scenery for the Haymarket Theatre, and he develops
his talent by sketching and painting as he grows to young
adulthood. One day in 1809 at Richmond a gentleman called
Wallace observes George's work and invites him to visit his
home and art collection. Hoping for a patron or at least a
sale, George agrees.
THE PRETTY GENTLEMAN is what Wallace's wife calls George in
her diary, noting his looks. Her husband introduces George
to classical art and literature, including the Elgin
marbles, helping him learn oil painting; while in the
theatre the lad works for his living on mock Venetian
cities copied from Canaletto. Wallace has a secret life
however, and George picks up hints of it - the stroll to
shady streets at night, the preponderance of male
sculptures in his home. Yet studies of women might be
considered indecent. When Wallace offers George a studio
and commissions, the lad is thrilled and shocked. In high
society the young artist finds people who believe art
should only serve the purpose of religion, as well as those
who wish to admire beauty for its own sake.
Interspersed we see that George has ended up in Newgate
gaol, and expects to be hanged at dawn, for what crime we
have yet to discover. As the story unfolds and the youth's
ambition swells to include the Royal Academy, so a sense of
menace builds, ably written to intrude at more frequent
intervals. An intruder in the house, theft of a personal
item, a sensation of being followed... then the ultimate
peril. As the relationship between George and his patron
changes to a love that must be kept secret, simultaneously
even well-bred men are being brought to assizes for a crime
that is considered too unspeakable to be named.
The language of the day is well-employed, George not being
a wordy, literary type. This young man genuinely loves his
art, but his family is also dear to him, and he is a well-
rounded, sympathetic protagonist. Max Fincher recreates
the sights, smells and sounds of London with a deft touch,
adding the constraints of the society of the day and
hinting at the pursuits of libertines that went
unremarked. He has researched the background in
considerable detail and THE PRETTY GENTLEMAN casts light
upon a scene untouched by the majority of either crime or
romance novelists. While this story will be of greatest
interest to gay readers or artists, the alternative
sexuality content is gently written and need not dissuade
the nervous. I admire Fincher's portrayal of London, and
crime, at this time, and look forward to reading his next
work.
George Rowlands, an aspiring young painter meets the
charismatic Sir Henry Wallace who invites him to draw his
sculpture collection and his good-looking valet Gregorio
Franchese. Patronised by Wallace to study at the Royal
Academy, George is befriended by the aloof John McCarther,
assistant to the eccentric painter, Henry Fuseli. Meanwhile,
Lady Arabella Wallace becomes increasingly suspicious of her
husband’s enthusiasm for his new protégé.
When a male brothel, the White Swan, is exposed, Henry
Wallace receives a letter of extortion in George’s
handwriting. After Gregorio Franchese is found murdered,
George is suspected when erotic drawings of Gregorio are
discovered in his possession. Will he face the gallows, or
will self-sacrifice and truth save his fate?
Mixing history with passion and drama, and touching on the
dark and erotic aspects of the all-male Royal Academy, The
Pretty Gentleman is a historical thriller which explores the
themes of love, power, betrayal and truth in Regency
society.
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