#vittorio the vampire

[sizeofyoursoul]

Fanmade TVC Book Covers: Inspired by The Vampire Armand

When I was making my other set of Vampire Chronicles ebook covers, I had another idea for a set inspired by my favorite of the original hardback covers: The Vampire Armand. The Vampire Armand cover isn't just well designed, it's also a specific painting referenced within the book, so I wanted to see if I could make covers with a similar design that also met that criteria for the other books!

As before, my disclaimer is that I am not a graphic designer, I am a nerd with a hobby! I don't own the rights to any of these books, images, or paintings (and I believe they are all out of copyright). I hope you like them!

See below for what each painting is, and a few notes about why I chose it and where it appears in the book:

Interview with the Vampire

Painting: Witches Sabbath by Francisco de Goya

Source: Directly Described, Artist Name Provided in The Vampire Lestat

Quote: "I kept looking at Claudia, the way she lay against the books, the way she sat amongst the objects of the desk, the polished white skull, the candle-holder, the open parchment book whose hand-painted script gleamed in the light; and then above her there emerged into focus the lacquered and shimmering painting of a medieval devil, horned and hoofed, his bestial figure looming over a coven of worshipping witches."

Notes: In The Vampire Lestat, Lestat specifically references that Armand's cell contains copies of paintings by de Goya. There are two different de Goya paintings of a horned devil, I believe this one is the one described here.

The Vampire Lestat

Painting: Amor Vincit Omnia by Caravaggio.

Source: Subject Referenced with Artist Name

Quote: "He moved into the glow of the candles on the side altar. His clothes were black velvet, once beautiful, and now eaten away by time, and crusted with dirt. But his face was shining white, and perfect, the countenance of a god it seemed, a Cupid out of Caravaggio, seductive yet ethereal, with auburn hair and dark brown eyes."

Notes: Armand is repeatedly compared to Cupid as painted by Caravaggio in The Vampire Lestat, and this painting is of that figure. Lestat also references Gabrielle having copies of Caravaggio paintings in her rooms at his childhood home. This painting actually has scattered sheet music and a violin lying in the corner, which was another section I considered using to represent this book.

The Queen of the Damned

Painting: The Dionysian Friezes of The Villa of the Mysteries

Source: Directly Described

Quote: "Then the realization had come to Daniel as they stood together in the ruined dining room with its famous murals of ritual flagellation barely visible in the dark: He isn’t going to kill me after all. He isn’t going to do it. Of course he won’t make me what he is, but he isn’t going to kill me. The dance will not end like that."

The Tale of the Body Thief

Painting: Syndics of the Drapers' Guild by Rembrandt

Source: Directly Described, Including Artist Name, Discussed by Characters

Quote: "Finally, a week after my arrival, I found David in the empty Rijksmuseum, just after sunset, sitting on the bench before the great Rembrandt portrait of the Members of the Drapers' Guild"

Memnoch the Devil

Painting: Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch

Source: Directly Discussed by Characters by Name

Quote: "Exactly, like Bosch's Garden of Earthly Delights, that kind of luscious sensuous paradise! Of course, I hadn't seen Bosch's painting yet in the Prado. But it was here in miniature in these books. Little figures frolicking beneath the abundant trees. Old Captain said, 'Garden of Eden imagery,' that it was very common. But two books full of it? No. This was different. I had to crack these books, get an absolutely clear translation of every word."

Pandora

Statue: Roman Depiction of Isis, Hadrian’s Villa, 117-138 AD Est

Source: Described

Quote: "My Isis had been Greco-Roman. Even her statue in the Roman Sanctuary had been clothed in a gorgeously draped Greek dress and her hair had been done softly in the old Greek style, with waves around her face. She had held her sistrum and an urn. She had been a Romanized goddess.

The Vampire Armand

Painting: Primavera by Botticelli

Source: Directly Referenced by Name

Quote: "Come on, somebody, tell me I make you think of Mercury chasing away the clouds in Botticelli's Primavera"

Note: This is, of course, the original hardback cover of The Vampire Armand, and the inspiration for the rest of this set. This is a remake to match the aspect ratio of the other images.

Vittorio, the Vampire

Painting: Annunciation with Two Kneeling Donors by Filippo Lippi

Source: Directly Named

Quote: "My father took me to see two more of his works, which were both paintings of the Annunciation… I had particularly enjoyed paintings of the Annunciation. Well, this last one I saw before I left Florence, done by Filippo sometime in the 1440s, was beyond anything I had beheld before. The angel was truly unearthly yet physically perfect. Its wings were made of peacock feathers."

Merrick

Painting: Madame Monet Embroidering (Camille au Metier) 1875 by Claude Monet

Source: Described, Artist Named

Quote: "I looked at a painting by Monet—one I'd come to neglect of late due to familiarity—a painting full of sunshine and greenery, of a woman at work on her needlepoint by a window under the limbs of delicate indoor trees. Like so many Impressionist paintings it was both highly intellectual, with its obvious brush strokes, and flagrantly domestic."

Note: This is a painting in the house on Rue Royale, which is one of Louis's Monet's, as he's referenced owning one or more of them frequently throughout the series.

Blood and Gold

Painting: Events of the life of Moses by Botticelli

Source: Directly Described, Artist Named.

Quote: "It didn't matter finally what these paintings meant. They filled me utterly. And in one, there were two maidens rendered so sensitively and yet so sensuously that I was amazed."

Note: Marius describes all three pieces by Botticelli in the Sistine Chapel over several pages, but the specific reference he makes that is quoted above is this painting, which is he compares to Pandora. Later he frequently compares Bianca to Botticelli's work, and I like the interpretation of this cover representing Bianca and Pandora.

Blackwood Farm

Painting: Salvador Mundi by Dürer

Source: Directly Discussed by Characters by Name

Quote: "'I'd save Dürer,' he said. 'Salvador Mundi--you know, the face of Christ with the hair parted in the middle.’"

Note: Many paintings get referenced throughout Blackwood Farm, though many of the artists are ones discussed in other books. Quinn's answer to the question he and Tommy are discussing (which one painting would you save) is a Madonna by either Fra Filippo Lippi or Botticelli, artists represented elsewhere in this set.

Blood Canticle

Painting: One of the "Unpainted pictures" by Emil Nolde

Source: Artist Referenced

Quote: "What the hallway needed was Emile Nolde. How could I get my hands on the German Expressionists?"

Note: Later in the book the other characters reference recently purchased paintings, and paintings with sailboats in them, though this specific painting is not mentioned. Other paintings in Rue Royale are described as "impressionist paintings" showing the sky, which are implied to be Louis's, and Lestat mentions them not being his personal preference.

Prince Lestat

Painting: Still Life with flowers by Rachel Ruysch

Source: Painting Described, See Notes

Quote: "What a pretty room, painted a cobalt blue and with bright white enameled moldings, and on the wall a brilliant painting of roses, wild, exploding roses against a backdrop of a darker blue."

Notes: This is a painting from Rose's bedroom, and Rose is described as having fond memories of visiting the Rijksmuseum. This specific painting is not referenced but matches the subject matter and description and is by a Dutch artist, contemporary of Rembrandt, who has similar works in the Rijksmuseum.

Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis

Painting: Marie-Thérèse Durand-Ruel Sewing by Pierre Auguste Renoir

Source: Painting Described, See Notes

Quote: "A Chinese vase filled with fragrant leafy eucalyptus, and a small undoubtedly genuine French Impressionist painting on the wall of a woman in profile, a woman with long russet hair."

Notes: The description given of the painting above is not very specific, but Renoir frequently painted women with red hair, several of them in profile, and this painting is one of them.

Blood Communion:

Painting: Sunset (1872) by Camille Pissarro

Source: Painting Referenced, See Notes

Quote: "Well, Louis and I have been reunited a number of times, and this time around, at the Court in France, our reunion is enduring. He left that Impressionist painting behind at my request in our old flat in the Rue Royale, and now these miserable miscreants had senselessly destroyed it."

Notes: All I had to work with here was that it was an impressionist painting that was special to Louis, so I wanted to find something that fit the tone of Blood Communion and was of a sunrise or a sunset, which feels in character for Louis. This painting is also currently in a private collection.

[briabooknerd]

[jurassic-cunt]

a vampire hunter gets tricked into becoming a vampire because he's sixteen with a hard on

[movedtonewblogcheckpinnedpost]

Only Blood Communion and Interview With the Vampire to go now. I'll make more elaborated posts about my thoughts once I'm done with everything, but here are some of my opinions:

TVA is absolutely my favorite (I've said it before and will say it again: the most purifying cry I had in my life, it destroyed and restored me in the best possible way), TVL, TQOTD and Prince Lestat are also on my top 4, though I don't know where to place the latter on my personal ranking. The others are sort of tied and the order changes according to specific aspects. Like, Blood and Gold covers a lot of eras and places of the world, has multiple interesting characters, so it's fun in the sense there's a lot of stuff to see, even if I'm not a Marius's fan and he isn't the best narrator imo. On the other hand, something like Merrick is more packed, just her, Louis and David (and some Lestat), but I just love her as a character and the whole story of her family. I can't really choose.

Memnoch would be the last because it was the one I struggled with (tho I loved Armand on it), I thought the concept was great and I could've loved it with a more active, intense and eventful execution. Prince Lestat and the Realms of Atlantis is second-to-last because most of the plot was dumb to me, the part that made sense was solved in an unconvincing way, I had to do a lot of suspending disbelief even for a supernatural/sci-fi story... But it was nice to have so many characters I love reunited, even if some didn't have lines, it's nice to know they're around and I enjoy the vampires having sort of a healthy little community.

Favorite character is definitely Armand, then Lestat, then Pandora, Maharet, Mekare, Flavius, Merrick, Bianca, Gabrielle, Mona, Benji, Avicus and Petronia (they didn't appear much and did awful brutal stuff, yes, but having an intersex/gender-fluid character was great and they had so much baggage I could empathize with them). Most after Armand and Lestat are tied. I don't know if I'd call Benedict a fave, but I'm somewhat attached to him (and I KNOW about those spoilers). I LOVE Vittorio and Ursula too and I hope they can appear in some shape or form on the show. I don't looooove Antoine, but he's alright to me. He just seems to be a poor/broke dude who wants to live, have friends and dedicate his existence to his hyperfixations and I can relate because same lol. I get him.

Favorite pairings (either as an OTP or brotp): Lesmand (👑👑👑), Pandora and Flavius (👑👑), Maharet and Mekare (👑, they just don't get more crowns because they don't appear as much as I wanted 😔), Armand and Benji and Sybelle (as duos and a trio), Armand and Riccardo, Armand and Bianca (pretty much Armand and everyone that isn't Marius lol), Lestat and Mona (their childish siblings-coded beef entertains me), Maharet and Jesse and Vittorio and Ursula (👑👑). I wish I had seen more of some characters/dynamics, tho.

MAYBE I could tolerate Marius and even love Magnus (he seems to have a sad and interesting story) if all I'd seen of them had been the content of the last trilogy, but given the previous books, I'm not sure I can enjoy Anne's decisions. I have a lot of mixed feelings about Magnus apologizing and Marius's behavior not even being seen as something to apologize for in the first place, but that's for another post.

Some of the books I would've been able to read and love with or without the show, some I only read to get information, but I'm mostly glad I'm equipped with so much of the lore now. That's not to say there aren't problematic things even for the genre that I need to compartmentalize and ignore (to some extent and not completely) for my enjoyment, because there is a lot of that, but it hasn't been a waste of time. And I'm glad I know what can happen in the future, make silly little fancasts and have events to look forward to seeing on the series. Obviously, opinions can change with the next books, when I re-read the novels or even with conversations and discussions... And that makes me excited as well.

[leliosinking]

Hot take I guess but the fandom was way too hard on this book (and still is tbh) and for what? Because it isn’t interested in fan service? If anything Anne’s writing was at its best when she ignored what fans wanted, and I think it’s time for a reevaluation of my boy Vittorio the Vampire.

I just think this was such a promising start to New Tales (more than Pandora, even) and I sort of hate all of you for boycotting it or telling new readers to skip it. (as far as i’m concerned TVA, Merrick, B&G, BF and BC are all unofficially New Tales anyway.. TVL-MtD are the only proper vampire chronicles, everything else falls into different categories, but I digress).

With regard to Vittorio, however, we were given a true blue Ricean vampire hunter novel (the only one mind you) with an actual, functioning plot and some of the best action she’s written since TVL… and you all shunned it. And I get it, we don’t read these books for conventional, commercial plot contrivances, but for the florid language and richly crafted characters; but this is the rare Anne Rice novel that’s just.. fun for the sake of fun?

And no, I’m not blind to its problems. It absolutely needed another draft or two (as do a lot of the later VC entires) and no, Vittorio is not her strongest protagonist by leagues. But what we got was still filled to the brim with good ideas?

The Court of the Ruby Grail cult, especially, is one my favorite of Anne’s inventions. Like their dynamic with the local human villages feeding them their castoffs was legitimately disturbing and IMO better executed than most of the times she retreaded the Children of Darkness post-TVL.

And while Vittorio the character might be kind of boring, Florian and Ursula carry this novel and deserved to enter the larger narrative tapestry on their strengths alone but “waaah Lestat and co. aren’t here” so “it’s bad” or whatever.. I really can’t stand some of y’all.

Anyway, this is long enough and I really didn’t set out to write an essay in defense of what is ultimately a mid-tier entry into this series. But. I still feel that much in the way that MtD and Blackwood Farm have been recently reassessed as good novels that happen to be bad VC entires I think it’s time for some of you to similarly reevaluate Vittorio the Vampire, because this is a good vampire novel, it just isn’t a good vampire chronicle (well I think it is and yet and yet and yet). But it’s still part of the series and it does fit into the larger picture despite what some will have you believe.

If this is your first time, I personally like to read VTV between Body Thief and Memnoch. I think it is better thematically situated there than between TVA and Merrick as initially published. The archangels that enter later in the story build nicely upon David’s vision of God and Satan in TTOTBT and make for a strong intermission full of angels and demons that assist in setting up the Dantean finale of MtD. (I have more suggested reading orders btw, some other time perhaps).

I dunno.. if you like this book please let me know lol like I could use the solidarity because I feel like I’m the only one (I have it ranked #6 out of 15). But yeah, I think Vittorio is probably the most underrated and most unfairly slandered entry in Anne’s entire catalogue if I’m being completely honest.

[proffbon]

Vittorio when he gets his hands on Prince Lestat trilogy and finds out there's now ANOTHER vampire court around

[palamedespoetry]

omg guys look at what my maman gave me !!!! i feel like i should say that she's been an iwtv fan long before i was born so i guess you could say its a genetics thing ? lol

[paintaboveyourbones]

Gentle reader, he did not, in fact, join up with that roman-fleuve begun by the other vampires.

[secondarystars]

Vittorio the Vampire being set only 50 years earlier than TVA (in italy!!) and one year younger in mortal life AND having the same audio narrator as The Vampire Armand is really giving "I'm you but stronger"

[simherewriting]

i have this vittorio edition that i got from a supermarket for 4.90 in my post twilight reading vampire phase when i was in middle school and it has the worst cover possible that now years later it makes me question my parents' unconditional support for my interests like thanks for your trust guys but seriously at what cost

[nalyra-dreaming]

Do Lestat and Louis make an appearance in Pandora or Vittorio The Vampire? I just wanted to know before I read them

No. In Vittorio he isn’t even mentioned iirc, and though he is mentioned in Pandora he is in the coma then.

[sizeofyoursoul]

Someone asked on Reddit a couple of months ago why no one had designed a full set of matching Vampire Chronicles covers for customizing ebooks yet.

...

Anyway, here are two sets: the color set and an alternate black set that might look better in your ebook app.

Disclaimer, I am not a graphic designer, I made these in Canva, and I placed most of the images manually. Also, there was never a version of this post where I uploaded the wrong color version of Blood Canticle (shhhh).

[ezombieart]

my VtM vampires in a lineup <3

[jurassic-cunt]

there were vampires AND angels begging vittorio to shut the fuck up and he just wouldn't lmao

[movedtonewblogcheckpinnedpost]

Vittorio reminds me of Armand and Lestat (aka my TVC faves) in a way. Rebellious, religious, lost several loved ones at once in an attack (including children) and was turned really young. I think I'll enjoy this character/book.

[mrt-s]

Tribute to 102 of my favorite and some of the most iconic Movie Costumes (part 1/17)

Cleopatra 1963 (Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor), Costume Design by Irene Sharaff, Vittorio Nino Novarese and Renié; Alice in Wonderland 2010 (Alice, Mia Wasikowska), Costume Design by Colleen Atwood; To Catch a Thief 1955 (Frances Stevens, Grace Kelly), Costume Design by Edith Head; Great Expectations 1998 (Estella, Gwyneth Paltrow), Costume Design by Judianna Makovsky; Interview With The Vampire 1994 (Lestat de Lioncourt, Tom Cruise), Costume Design by Sandy Powell; How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days 2003 (Andie Anderson, Kate Hudson), Costume Design by Karen Patch and Carolina Herrera.