Paula's Tour Talk

Renaissance Portraits at the Met in NY

 

Take this rare opportunity to see many wonderful portraits, including sculpture busts, in NY this winter.  Most almost never leave Italy.

Bronzino's Portrait of Eleonora of Toledo

This famous portrait of Eleonora of Toledo, first wife of Grand Duke Cosimo I de' Medici, depicts an arrogant aristocrat in sumptuous dress. It is the heavy brocade gown and jewels that dominate while poor little two-year-old Giovanni looks dazed and uncomfortable.

Cosimo married Eleonora to inject some blue blood into his line. Cosimo was the first of the Medicis to rule with a title, Grand Duke. His wealthy ancestors, bankers and financiers, had power without title and were scorned by European aristocrats as mere merchants.

Eleonora was a member of Castilian royalty and had ties to the Hapsburg dynasty-- more than noble enough to add luster to the Medici line.

She did her dynastic duty,too, as the mother of 11 children. Some died in infancy or childhood, but five of her sons lived. Both Francesco and Fernando became Grand Dukes in time, and Giovanni, the little boy in the portrait was Bishop of Pisa and a cardinal even though he died before he was twenty.

Bronzino lavished his attention on her dress; the faces seem almost indistinct by comparison. The elaborate pomegranate motif, symbolizing fertility, is painstakingly rendered. The focus on her  expensive dress emphasizes Eleonora's nobility.

In my research on this painting, I found an interesting tidbit: Eleonora is said to have started the fashion for pearl earrings. In portraits before this one, women do not wear earrings, but after you will see most with drop pearls in their ears.

But Eleonora was no mere decoration or fashion arbiter. Cosimo shocked his court when he made her his regent when he traveled, and all reports describe her as being extremely competent. She also engaged in many successful business ventures, and became wealthy in her own right. Eleonora died at age forty of malaria.

You can see this work and also Bronzino's lovely portraits of little Bia and of Lucrezia Panciatichi (shown here) in the octagonal Tribune room in the center of the Uffizi gallery in Florence. 

NOTE: Time of Your Life Tours is extending the $400.00 discount on our fall tour, The Best of Tuscany to May 1, 2010.

Of course, we'll be visiting the Uffizi.

Venice's Glorious Frari

The Frari is the nickname for the church if Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, and "frari' is the Venetian form of "frati" for the brothers of the Franciscan order.

It's one of the must-sees of Venice. Filled with art, magnificent tombs, and stunning architecture, it's one of my favorite churches in this city of splendid churches.

Check out this link to a site with some excellent photos of the interior and exterior of the Frari, with an added bonus of a restaurant recommendation.

And if you go, take time to marvel at Giovanni Bellini's beautiful altarpiece (above), Titian's transcendent Assumption, and Donnatello's sculpture of John the Baptist, and the pyramid monument to Canova.

Admission is only 2.50 euro and it's very near the San Toma' vaporetto stop or a pleasant walk from the Rialto Bridge.

Simon Schama's Power of Art

I've been enjoying watching Simon Schama's excellent series, The Power of Art, on DVD. Most interesting to me are the two Italian artists, Caravaggio and Bernini, but the whole program is thought-provoking and extremely well done.

It's no surprise that these two artists are featured. Caravaggio was the most revolutionary artist of his time. He completely abandoned the rules followed by artists for centuries and refused to idealize human experience. Caravaggio wanted to portray the truth in all its gritty imperfection. As you can see, there is nothing pretty or pleasant in this painting of the Deposition From the Cross (above). 

 

Bernini was also a break-through artist. He strove to portray emotional and psychological truth, particularly in moments of passionate intensity. His most famous work is The Ecstasy of St. Teresa.

Here's what Schama says about the elemental power of art in his introduction:

The power of the greatest art is the power to shake us into revelation and rip us from our default mode of seeing. After an encounter with that force, we don't look at a face, a color, a sky, a body, in quite the same way again. We get fitted with new sight: in-sight. Visions of beauty or a rush of intense pleasure are part of that process, but so too may be shock, pain, desire, pity, even revulsion. That kind of art seems to have rewired our senses. We apprehend the world differently.

You can read more and even see excerpts from the videos at The Power of Art.  The DVD's are widely available, and will even be on the shelves of most public libraries.

Check it out and let me know what you think. I definitely prefer the work of the Renaissance to these later artists, but I am gaining an greater understanding and appreciation of their power.

Other artists in the series include Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Picasso, and Rothko.

Siena's Most Overlooked Treasure

You'd think that a large room in the Siena Cathedral with some of the most gorgeous frescoes you will ever see would be hard to miss. But far too many of the people I talk to who have visited Siena on their own or even on a tour look at me blankly when I ask how they liked the Piccolomini Library.

It's true that the Cathedral is huge and packed with amazing sights from the mosaics on the floor to the sculpture adorning every nook and cranny, but the Piccolomini (which is located in the center of the right aisle) should not be overlooked.

The Library houses a wonderful collection of music manuscripts, but it's the walls that are stunning to me.  Ten frescoes by the artist Pinturrichio, depicting the life of Aeneas Silvio Piccolomini, who became Pope Pius II, decorate the walls of the room.

Pinturrichio, and his assistant, the young Raphael, created vivid scenes, full of color, richness, and  detail.  Looking at them is like stepping into the world of the 15th century. The artists even painted himself and Raphael into one of the scenes (above).

You can see many of the frescoes at the Web Gallery of Art, but I hope you will see them in person one day. 

All of Time of Your Life Tours' Tuscany trips include a visit to the Siena Cathedral and the Piccolomini Library. Our clients say it's one of the highlights of the tour. The night before we go, I tell them the story of Piccolomini's life while we enjoy a glass or two of wine on our hotel's terrace.

And, although I usually don't like those recorded audio tours, I always rent them for our clients when we visit the Siena Cathedral. They include information on each of the frescoes in the Library and I highly recommend them to enhance the experience.

New Portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci

You might have seen reports of the hub-bub surrounding a possible new portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci. There's always tremendous interest in a discovery of this kind. The potential for new insights into the most famous artist of the Western world is exciting.

You can read about the new portrait and see a video here: new portrait of the artist in middle age.

There's more here, in this article from the London Times.

The BBC also reported on the uncovering of a page in Leonardo's notebooks that contains a hidden self-portrait.

Finally, if you'd like to see all the portraits of Leonardo, including those he himself inserted into some of his paintings, take a look at this article, also about a possible "new" portrait of the artist.

The sketch shown above is one that comes form his Notebooks and is generally agreed to be authentic.

I guess when it comes to someone so famous and so mysterious--despite all the writings and records we have--you can't ever have too much!

The Titans of Venetian Art

Although I personally prefer the works of fifteenth century Venetian artists like the various Bellinis, and Vivarini, Carpaccio and Giorgione, the big three in Venice are Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese.

These are the artistic giants, whose monumental works adorn the palaces, hang in all the world's major museums, and who figure large in art history classes. I've been studying their works and learning to appreciate their greatness--even if they'll never be my absolute favorites.

A blockbuster show called Titian, Tintoretto, and Veronese: Rivals in Renaissance Venice just opened  at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. You can get a wonderful overview of these artists and learn about their fierce competition for commissions and for fame, and see many of their works by visiting the exhibition's online site. 

Check it out. You'll find fascinating short articles and a couple of excellent slide shows of the art, including an intriguing piece on what conservators discovered beneath Tintoretto's Nativity.

There was also a terrific article in the March 12th issue of the New York Times, called Passion of the Moment: A Triptych of Masters.  Journalist Holland Cotter offers what amounts to a short course on Venetian art and these artists. There's a slide show of the works here too.

Now I know why Titian's painting of Flora the goddess of spring (that's her above) was not in its usual spot in the Uffizi Museum last time I was in Florence.  It's one of the works in the guide I've written for Time of Your Life Tour clients and I missed her.

These resources have re-ignited my ambition to learn more about these titans, and I hope they inspire you too.

Do you like hearing about these articles and resources? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

An Overlooked Masterpiece

This touching scene painted in gorgeously glowing colors is one of my favorite paintings. Mariotto Albertinelli's Visitation hangs in Room 25 of the Uffizi where Michelangelo's famous Doni Tondo captures the full attention of most visitors.

But this masterpiece of the early 16th century is certainly worth a few moments contemplation, and knowing the story from the Gospel of Luke will add to your enjoyment.

After the Angel Gabriel had given the Virgin Mary the shock of her life with the news that she was to bear the Son of God, he mentioned that her aged cousin Elizabeth was pregnant.

This pregnancy was also miraculous. Long past the age for childbearing, Elizabeth and her even more elderly husband Zachariah had accepted that theirs was a barren marriage. Then one day Gabriel appeared and told the astonished old man that his wife would soon become pregnant and that they should name the baby boy John.

This baby would grow up to be John the Baptist.

Perhaps because Joseph wasn't initially thrilled with the idea of his wife's holy pregnancy, Mary set off on an 80 mile journey to visit her cousin for a few months when she heard this happy and amazing news.

This painting depicts the moment of their meeting. Elizabeth rushes forward, grasps Mary's hand and embraces the younger woman tenderly. It is a moment of affection and deep connection between the two cousins. But it's also a moment of profound religious significance.

The Gospel says that when Elizabeth first beheld Mary, the babe in her womb "leapt for joy" in recognition, and Elizabeth understood that Mary's child would be her Lord. The words Elizabeth utters in greeting are those of the familiar prayer: "Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee..."

Mary replies with another prayer, called the Magnificat: "My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my Saviour..."

These prayers were as well known in the Renaissance as they are to devout Catholics today. The scene also had a special relevance to the Florentines. John the Baptist was the city's patron saint, and all aspects of his story would have been instantly recognizable.

I always spend a few minutes with this painting when I am in the Uffizi and tell the story when we visit the museum with our tours. I hope you will seek it out--it's extraordinarily beautiful beyond what can be seen in reproduction.

Ghirlandaio's Adoration of the Shepherds

Well, I'm not going to get my computer back until sometime next week (fully fixed and running great, I hope), so I am writing this from the library.

Ghirlandaio's painting, The Adoration of the Shepherds (click on the pictures to view enlarged verisons) is one of my favorites. You'll find it in Santa Trinita', a church just over the bridge from the flagship Ferragamo store. There is much to see in this church, but the altarpiece in the Sasseti chapel is definitely worth crossing the Arno for.

Domenico Ghirlandaio (his real name was Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi--that is Domenico son of Tommaso who was son of Doffo)). Maybe it was just too long a name, but he was known as Ghirlandaio, that is garland-maker, after his father. Tommaso was a goldsmith who specialized in elaborate gold and silver garlands fashionable Florentine ladies wore on their headdressses.

Born in 1449, the same year as Lorenzo de' Medici (the Magnificent), Ghirlandaio  was considered one of the finest artists of his day. He was a contemporary of Botticelli, and the two worked together on the Sistine Chapel in Rome. (Michelangelo only painted the ceiling, and there are many more frescoes on the walls). But unlike Botticelli who was an innovator, Ghirlandaio was highly influenced by painters from the north, especially Hugh van der Goes (you can see a wonderful example of his work in the Botticelli Room at the Uffizi).

Francesco Sasseti (that's him on the right), who was the general manager of the Medici banking empire, commissioned  Ghirlandaio to do a whole series of frescoes in the chapel at Santa Trinita' depicting the life of St. Francis of Assisi as well as the strikingly lovely altarpiece with portraits of Sasseti and his wife in panels on either side.

The Adoration of the Shepherds was not a popular subject at this time. The Adoration of the Magi was  much more common. Ghirlandaio's and Sasseti's choice of this much more humble subject may have been in direct response to Gentile da Fabriano's magnificent golden Magi in the adjoining Strozzi chapel. (It now hangs in the Uffizi).

The Adoration of the Shepherds is based on Luke 2:16--"So they went with haste   and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in a manger."  Hmm. Except in this painting the child is lying in front of a Roman sarcophagus. It is filled with hay that the animals appear to munch on, but it's no wooden manger.

Notice the Latin inscription on the sarcophagus--it explains the mystery. The words refer to a prophecy that a God will rise from the tomb of Pompey the Great. You'd have to know the whole story of Pompey, as the educated Renaissance men would have, to get the reference. But anyone could see that the Roman setting (note the columns in the background) symbolize the triumph of Christianity over paganism. This idea is further emphasized by the crude wooden roof that's precariously hanging atop the Roman columns: the humble Christ child and his followers prevail over the might of Rome.

I know. This doesn't really explain the mystery. But it does begin to give you a glimpse into the many layers of meaning that Ghirlandaio invested in every singe detail of this painting. I could write a book on it. But, today I'll just point out a few of the more interesting things.

 Starting at the right of the painting, look at the dark haired man, pointing to himself and at the garland on the sarcophagus. That's Ghirlandaio's self-portrait, which he makes sure you "get" by connecting himself with the garland.

Next, the ox and donkey are symbols of the Jews and the Gentiles. In the foreground there's a solitary stone for Sasseti whose name means "little stone."  The goldfinch perched nearby is a symbol of Christ's Passion and Resurrection.

It's hard to see in the reproduction, but there are two different cities on the hills in the background. The one on the right is Jerusalem (not, as you might expect, Bethlehem) and the one on the left is Rome. There's a dome in the Roman view that closely resembles the dome of the cathedral in Florence. Florentines of the time liked to style their city the "new Rome" for its power and prestige.

Mary looks serene and adores the fleshy baby lying naked on a corner of her cloak. But Joseph, who gazes off with his hand on his forehead, looks like he's wondering just what he's gotten into.  In the background on the right you can see the Magi winding their way down the mountain, and above them are some sheep wandering freely. It seems their shepherds have run off after hearing the tidings of the birth from that angel overhead.

I hope you get a chance to this this painting in its original setting in church someday. it's so much better in real life.

The Odd History of Orsanmichele

One of the most fascinating of Florence's medieval structures is the church in the heart of the historic center called Orsanmichele. Its name is a contraction of Orto San Michele or the Garden of St. Michael because the church was built on the site of a long-gone monastery's garden.

But this building was not originally built as a church at all. It was granary with a grain market on the first floor, offices on the second, and the city's grain warehouse (insurance against famine or siege) on the third.

But it so happened that one of the pillars was decorated with an image of the Madonna and it soon became a place of devotion and miraculous healings. The granary was damaged by a fire in 1304 and the image gradually faded.

When a new loggia was built, the artist Bernado Daddi  was commissioned to paint a new Madonna. It's this work, known as Madonna della Grazie, Our Lady of Favors(on the right)), that you see today in the church. Devotion to the Madonna increased when the Black Plague struck in 1348, and by 1359 it was felt the place was no longer suitable for commerce and the grain market was moved, although the upper floor remained a warehouse. You can still see the chutes that were used for the wheat.

At the end of the 14th century the loggia was enclosed, stained glass windows added, and the building was dedicated as a church. All of the Arti Maggiori or principal guilds were charged with donating statues to fill the niches on the outside of the church. The wealthy guilds vied to hire the best artists to create statues of their patron saints. For example, Donatello was commissioned to sculpt St. George (at left), the patron of the Armorers, Lorenzo Ghiberti created his St. Matthew for the Bankers and also St. John the Baptist for the Wool Merchants.

The statues in the outdoor niches are now replicas of the originals which are being restored and prepared for a new Orsanmichele museum. It's fun to look at the statues and the guild emblems to see who's who.

We'll be seeing this unusual church next month on Time of Your Life Tour's  Tastes of Tuscany. It's too late to sign up for that one, but check out Tour News for all our upcoming tours, including a trip to Milan, Lake Como, and Venice in the spring with master business coach Caterina Rando.