Arte (アルテ, Arute) is the main protagonist of the eponymous manga series ARTE and its anime adaptation. She is the only daughter of a small aristocrat family, and she's an aspiring painter who left her old life behind after her father's demise and started her career as an apprentice.
She was voiced by Mikako Komatsu in the Japanese dub and Felecia Angelle in the English version.
Appearance
Arte has large, blue eyes with thin lashes on both upper and lower eyes. She has blonde long hair, which she shortened to chin-length at the start of the series but grew back to normal in the six months of when she was at Venice.
Her ground-length dress consists of a white petticoat and a green dress over it, with silver embroidery on the hem of the dress. She wears a deep brown belt with gold buckles and a white cloth around her waist.
Personality
Despite her naive nature due to her noble upbringing, she is very determined to make the best of her work to achieve her dreams as a painter. She also tries to help and negotiate with people for what she feels is a good bargain for everyone. Sometimes she gets carried away with her determination and pushes too far, especially in heavy working, ending with awkward results.
History
When Arte's father dies, and her stern mother forces her to leave her dreams and get married in an attempt to rebuild their family's fortune, Arte leaves her old house and noble life to become a painter. Despite being rejected by the local workshops due to being a woman, Arte finally manages to become the apprentice of an unsocial artisan named Leo. Soon Arte earns the admiration of her new comrades and friends, especially Angelo and Darcia, whom the latter learns to read from her. She also accepts to come to Venice from a Venetian noble merchant, astonished by her capabilities, to become the tutor of her niece Katarina.
After returning from Venice, Arte continues her apprenticeship under Leo smoothly until she meets a Spanish noblewoman Irene, revealed to be a princess named Caterina. Due to knowing the latter's true identity, a cardinal, Silvio, has Arte imprisoned in order to learn what she knows. She is saved on time by Caterina and the help of her handmaid, Azucena, but she has to abandon Florence to escape torture. Before leaving, she manages to confess her feelings to Leo, who tells her to not give up on her career and wishes her good luck. She also visits her uncle and stern mother in her hometown. Despite being aware of Arte's fake crimes, they reconcile with her and part on good terms.
Eight years after arriving at Castile (a territory in Spain), Arte, who is now a painter under Caterina's arm, receives news that Cardinal Silvio has left Florence and she decides to return to Florence and see Leo again.