The Dwarf (Lagerkvist novel)

The character Bernardo of the novel is a fictionalized version of Leonardo da Vinci, who served as a court artist and military architect in Milan from 1482 to 1499.

The exact time and location are unclear, but the presence of the character named Bernardo, who is unmistakably modeled on Leonardo da Vinci, suggests that the story takes place in a fictional version of Milan around the time of Leonardo's stay at the court of the Duke of Milan, Ludovico Sforza, from 1482 to 1499.

At the same time, Lagerkvist includes Bernardo/Leonardo's creation of The Last Supper and Mona Lisa in the plot, which were done in Milan and Florence, respectively.

At some points in the novel, especially towards the end, it appears that the dwarf could be the embodiment of the dark sides of the prince himself, and not a real, separate person.

Each character demonstrates various vices and foibles: The prince, devious, murderous, and hypocritical, The princess is self-centered, adulterous, naive, and foolishly religious.

Bernardo (a Da Vinci type), a sycophant who shows the dark side of science, diverting his art and skill for killing.

This is chronicled by the Dwarf, who is amoral and joyless (He is disgusted by Don Ricardo's joie de vivre and has a "Hitlerian" set of values regarding food and sex).