The novel is set in the sixteenth century Italy, and examines a few formative years of a young Italian woman painter- Sofonisba at the background of a small community of nobles, artisans and artists, their friends and slaves, especially a beautiful young girl with a skin disease stolen from Africa, Chiara.
For the two thirds of the book it is an excruciatingly painful read. The society in which the plot is set is shown as very coarse, I would even use the word –barbarian, cruel and prejudiced. It’s difficult to feel sympathy for anyone, as they all either deceive, violate, or don’t care.
But, when I thought it was the time to put the book down for good, one of the main characters, Sofonisba, showed the first bit of character and respectability, stood up for herself and suddenly the book came together. Finally there was a message coming through somewhere there. Then, the air began to clear, and all the three main characters somewhat grew up .

Apart from a glimpse on the life of artists and artisans in the sixteenth century Italy, one of the more ambitious themes in the novel was an attempt to examine the essence of beauty, and the link between beauty, ugliness and cruelty, in which the author did not entirely succeed in my opinion. At least, nothing provoked me to stop and ponder her observations.
The title _Beyond Measure_- I am wondering if the title was to refer to both the esthetic value of beauty and the extent of cruelty- both beyond measure. ( )