The Orsanmichele, erceted around 1314, is famous for the exterior statues (now copies) sponsored by the City's major guilds. The originals are in local museums.
This work by Nanni di Banco, the Four Martyrs, is the most elaborate.
The four masons were martyred for refusing to carve a pagan deity for the Roman emperor.
Below many of the large works there is a panel, usually acknowledging the guild. Here are sculptors working on a more acceptable subject.
The collection of works at the Orsanmichele includes the first use of relief prospective by Donatello, a major advance in Western art.
It took another decade for the academic use of perspective to appear in painting at the Brancacci Chapel. The Chapel is attached to San Maria del Carmine church, which burned down (except for the Chapel) in 1771. The extensive frescoes, by Masolino and Masaccio, and Fillippino Lippi, were covered with soot until 1990. They are now beautifully restored and well lit. Fig leaves removed now.
Compare the change from the late gothic style of Masolino (temptation) to the early renaissance of Masaccio (expulsion):
Sat. 3/29 We went to the Pitti Palace. We looked at half of the Palatine Gallery . It is full of too many important pictures to start relating them. We also went on to the Modern Art Museum part. Modern art means between Napoleon and 1924. We concluded this was not the best period of Italian art. Or are we just spoiled by the French? There were magnificent examples of piedre dure.
Sun 3/30 Casa Buonaroti --
Michelangelo bought this place, but he didn't get to live there. His nephew inherited and had later artists frescoed (yes, it's a transitive verb.) several rooms. The main frescoed room presents scenes from the life of Michelangelo in the same manner as we see scenes from the life of a saint (except there are no miracles).
Later descendants added whatever they could find, mostly drawings and models. We found it fascinating and spent several hours in what we expected to be a short stop.
Somewhat out of place, chronologically and aesthetically, is this utterly exquisite predella of the life of St. Nicholas of Bari by Giovanni di Francesca.
A predella is a small, horizontal work below an altar. This one was previously beneath the Donatello Assumption at S. Croce, featured in a previous blog post. Here, the painting was separated in the photos into the 3 episodes depicted. (Our thanks to the German tourist who broke the rule against photos and posted the results on the 'net.) The painting is about 12" high, 40" long, and astonishing in its detail and technique.
At the top (but left in actuality), the Saint anonymously tossed purses of gold coins to 3 young sisters who lacked funds sufficient to provide a dowry. In the middle, the Saint brings 3 young men, who had been murdered and pickled in barrels, back to life. Bottom (i.e. right) the Saint intervenes to prevent the execution of (yes) 3 young men who were wrongfully accused.
We view these things with detachment and blunted emotions. They are, in so many ways, more inaccessible to us than much contemporary art. Admiration of this art was never universal. The Reformation was coming up fast and it would cause a lot of iconoclastic destruction.
Today, Florence is crowded...
...with gazillions of tourists, a large percentage of which seem to be Chinese. Most come in groups and go through the big museums with a guide. They pay close attention to lectures on selected works. Some are old enough to remember the Great Leap and the Red Guards. What are they thinking? We wish we could discuss these matters with them and our grandchildren. (Ready, Riley?)
L Ghillibini calzone ham
Mandarin chinese (potstickers, beef beer sauce, Mandarin duck - -surprisingly good or we are starved for Chinese food)
La Giostra (steak with parmigiano and arugula, osso buco, excellent free antipasto of tuscan liver, bruschetta, etc.) Best meal yet
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