Clouded in Clerkenwell
In the shadow of King Charles's court, two painters will risk everything to chase after greatness.
In 1640s London, success is painted in blood
How far would you be willing to go to achieve success? Step into the murky streets of seventeenth-century London, where two painters forge a secret bond that could be their salvation—or damn them both. Every Tuesday, discover what happens when art, ambition, and desperation collide in a world on the brink of civil war.
Your Escape into a Dark and Intriguing Past
Meet Henry Kentridge, a struggling English apprentice burdened by family promises, and Antonis van Laken, a brilliant Dutch painter haunted by his exile from Amsterdam.
In the cutthroat art world of 1640s London, a single, devastating accident shatters their precarious lives.
Now, bound by a dangerous secret, they must confront their deepest fears and make impossible choices between desperate survival and unthinkable solutions.
One Accident Changed Everything
It forged a pact neither man could escape.
Join Henry and Antonis as they discover the price of chasing their dreams. Click below to access the first two chapters.
Ready to Enter Clerkenwell?
About the Story
London, 1641. In a world where reputation is everything and one patron can make or break your career, two portrait painters are about to discover just how far they'll go to reach success.
When their envious master dies in a freak accident, English apprentice Henry Kentridge and talented Dutch studio assistant Antonis Van Laken see their chance. Instead of disclosing the death, they make a desperate bargain with a disgraced anatomist to hide the body and take control of the studio. Finally, they can pursue the royal patronage that will transform their lives—Antonis can replace the recently deceased Van Dyck as England's premier court painter, while Henry can raise the money he desperately needs for his starving family back in Exeter.
But every step toward their ambitions demands greater moral compromise. As they navigate the treacherous waters of noble patrons, growing suspicions, and the anatomist's increasingly dangerous demands, their carefully constructed lies begin to unravel. With England sliding toward civil war and powerful enemies closing in, they must choose: abandon their dreams or risk everything—including the gallows—for one last chance at the success that has always been just beyond their reach.
A darkly compelling tale of artistic ambition, moral compromise, and the price of creative dreams in a world where survival itself is never guaranteed.