The Healing of Tabitha by Masolino at the Brancacci Chapel in Florence: Public DomainĪdmission to the Brancacci Chapel is limited so purchase your tickets in advance. Substitute business suits for tights and cloaks and not much has changed. Each man looked like he’d stepped straight out of one of the Renaissance frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel. I was entertained watching a group of well-heeled, impeccably dressed Florentine businessmen lunching nearby. I stopped for lunch at a café with three tiny tables perched on the edge of the sidewalk and enjoyed being the only tourist in the vicinity. The Chapel is located away from the tourist hordes and requires a pleasantly long walk through a Florentine neighborhood in which people actually live. The attraction at the lovely Brancacci Chapel across the Arno in a quieter and less touristy area of Florence are the gorgeous frescoes by Masaccio and Masolino. Unfortunately for Savonarola, he went too far with his well-attended but over-the-top spectacles, including his Bonfires of the Vanities, and ended up hanged and burned in 1498. You can also peek into the cell once occupied by the infamous Savonarola, who preached vociferously against greed and luxury and denounced clerical corruption, despotic rule, and the exploitation of the poor. As I mentioned, I’m partial to Annunciations, and Fra’ Angelico’s version is one of the best. The museum contains numerous masterpieces by Fra’ Angelico, including the magnificent fresco in the Chapter House and his famous version of the Annunciation located at the top of the stairs leading to the cells. He’s like, come on Goliath, I dare ya to come at me.Īnnunciation by Fra Angelico in Cell 3: Public Domain He wears a hat festooned with flowers and leans on his sword, one hand on his hip. Where Michelangelo’s marble-carved David is tall, strong, and, let’s face it, hunky, Donatello’s bronze David is relaxed, laid-back, and kind of pretty. They weren’t speaking English, so I couldn’t understand what they were saying, but they were definitely smiling-and, truth be told, giggling.ĭonatello’s David at the marvelous Bargello Museum (reservations also recommended) might as well be a different species. While thinking unholy thoughts, I was joined by a bevy of nuns. I remember wandering around the back of him and staring up at a pair of buttocks that any gym rat would kill for. Every inch of him is perfection-a testament to the beauty and power of the human form. He is magnificent.Īlthough sculpted from marble, the muscles and sinews appear to pulse with life. When you finally work your way up to the front of the line and stand in front of David in all his naked glory, you’ll know what all the fuss is about. Michelangelo’s David in the Academia Gallery in Florence She doesn’t shy away from showing the sheer brute strength that Judith would need to saw the head off a man. This subject was a favorite of the period, and male artists usually depicted Judith as a bit of an ethereal wimp. Look at Judith’s muscles as she holds down Holofernes. She was also the first woman to be admitted to the Academy of Art and Design in Florence.Īrtemisia’s painting of Judith beheading poor old Holofernes (hey, he deserved it) is an amazing work. Several other women artists from the period (and earlier) have gained notice in recent years, but Artemisia is the one most people think of when asked to name a woman artist from back in the day. Hooray for Artemisia Gentileschi, one of the first recognized woman artists of the Baroque period. Judith Beheading Holofernes (1620) by Artemisia Gentileschi In addition to Birth of Venus, you’ll also see Botticelli’s equally famous Primavera along with several more of his paintings exhibited in four consecutive rooms.Īnd once you’ve finished looking at the real things, you can buy them on just about every knick-knack known to man in the many gift shops of Florence. The room containing several paintings by Botticelli is generally crowded, so if possible, visit the Uffizi early or late in the day so you can sit and enjoy his work. Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli: Public Domain
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