Ali Smith's 'How to Be Both' Explores Francesco del Cossa's Gaps
Rita Selvaggio delves into Ali Smith's 2014 novel 'How to Be Both' in a recent essay for ATP Diary, highlighting its ties to Renaissance artist Francesco del Cossa. Smith first discovered del Cossa's work in issue 153 of frieze magazine (March 2013). The book, which was released in Italian as 'L'una e l'altra' by SUR in 2016, weaves together the narratives of George, a mourning teenager, and a fictional version of del Cossa, named Francescho. It includes a letter from del Cossa to Borso d'Este dated 25 March 1470. The novel's dual narrative reflects the layering of frescoes, and critics have analyzed its themes of image preservation. Del Cossa (c. 1435/36–1477/78), known for the Griffoni Polyptych, was associated with the Este court. Smith's work received numerous accolades and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
Key facts
- Ali Smith's novel 'How to Be Both' (2014) explores the life of Renaissance painter Francesco del Cossa.
- Smith first encountered del Cossa's work through a reproduction in frieze magazine issue 153 (March 2013).
- The novel was published in two versions with different orders of its two halves.
- Del Cossa's letter to Borso d'Este, dated 25 March 1470, was discovered in 1885 in the State Archive of Modena.
- The novel features a fictional Francescho who was born female and lives as a man.
- Smith places a possible self-portrait of the artist in the third decan of the 'Month of March' fresco.
- 'How to Be Both' won the Goldsmiths Prize, Costa Novel Award, and Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction.
- The essay is part of Rita Selvaggio's column 'Figure della scrittura' on ATP Diary.
Entities
Artists
- Ali Smith
- Francesco del Cossa
- Jan Verwoert
- Aby Warburg
- Abū Ma‘shar
- Abraham ibn Ezra
- Pietro d’Abano
- Borso d’Este
- Bartolomeo Garganelli
- Ercole de’ Roberti
- Cosmè Tura
- Daniel Lea
- Robert Kusek
- Wojciech Szymański
- Antonio Olmos
Institutions
- ATP Diary
- frieze
- Palazzo Schifanoia
- SUR
- Hamish Hamilton
- State Archive of Modena
- Goldsmiths Prize
- Costa Novel Award
- Baileys Women’s Prize for Fiction
- Booker Prize
Locations
- Ferrara
- Italy
- Rome
- Baghdad
- Toledo
- Bologna
- Cambridge
- Inverness
- England
- Scotland