The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Novel of Michelangelo

Irving Stone (1903-1989) was an American author best known for his meticulously researched biographical novels. Born Irving Tennenbaum in San Francisco, California, Stone was raised in a working-class Jewish family. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and later studied at the University of Southern California. Stone was intrigued by how the lives of great individuals intersected with the social, political, and cultural climates of their times. This passion evolved into a lifelong project of narrating these lives in novelistic form, a method he often described as “bio-history” or “fictionalized biography.”

Stone’s first major success came in 1934 with Lust for Life, a novel about the life of Vincent van Gogh. This work set the tone for his future career, revealing his unique style: thoroughly researched, emotionally rich, and vividly descriptive. Stone’s portrayal highlighted van Gogh’s inner torment, artistic obsession, and passionate relationships, painting a deeply human portrait of the Dutch master. Stone traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium, and France to visit the places where van Gogh lived and worked. He relied heavily on the painter’s letters—particularly his extensive correspondence with his brother Theo—which provided a rich, firsthand window into van Gogh’s thoughts and emotions.