Updates from Firenze and the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo

Ciao,

Buon Giorno and greetings from Firenze. It may be cold as all get out here but that hasn't stopped me from walking around and exploring whenever possible. It even snowed the other day, something I was not expecting at all, but it was nice to see that the United States isn't the only place getting blanketed. The snow was freezing cold and it rained as well, though after reading about the "Snowmageddon" I am afraid I can't really complain at all. Despite it being almost the middle of February, we are apparently still stuck in winter here and will be for quite a few weeks to come. Definitely didn't pack as well as I could have, but I'm getting by without getting sick therefore all is well.

Enough about the weather though, let's talk about some art! I am very fortunate to have an ideal class schedule that gives me both Monday and Friday off every week, therefore I am using those days to explore and soon to begin travelling. I have plans to visit Holland the weekend after next, as Pisa is on the list for next Friday, and hopefully discover some of the 17th century Dutch art I adore so much. Peter Paul Rubens' art is distributed across the world, along with that of Rembrandt von Rijn so I am not as concerned with seeking these pieces out as I am about the peasant imagery I studied and wrote a research paper about. I was lucky enough to view a Tavern scene by David Teniers the Younger, one of the artists I discussed, in the Galleria Borghese but I would really like to see some of Adriaen Brouwer or Adriaen van Ostade works in person. The work of these two artists fascinates me, and I can only imagine the reaction and up close and personal viewing would induce. Also very high on my list of places to visit before May is the Kunstistoriches Museum in Vienna, where 1/4 of Pieter Brueghel the Elder's works are housed. He set the standard for the personal, revealing images of the lower classes (he even dressed up as a peasant and attended their weddings and and paved the way for some of the aforementioned artists. His Tower of Babel and cycle depicting the various seasons of the year would be enough for me, but there are more and I doubt I'd leave that room for a good couple hours. But, I'm getting ahead of myself. Back to Florence and the present.

One of the true treats of this city lies not in the Duomo (though that is absolutely magnificent), but in the museum dedicated to the Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore (Saint Mary of the Flower) and the building of Brunelleschi's almost overwhelming masterpiece, the Museum dell'Opera del Duomo. Inside this treasure chest are several breathtaking statues by Donatello, including the simply stunning (I have no better words...rendered speechless, literally) Magdalena, the original gilded bronze east door to the Battistero by Ghiberti, Michelangelo's final Pieta intended for his tomb, and many others. As for all the other museums (except the Museo di Carlo Bilotti in Rome...the collection is simply not big enough!) I have visited during my time in Italy, I reserved a chunk of no less than two hours for exploring and staring. Honestly, that probably was not enough time and I could have wandered for hours more among the three floors. That is one thing that never ceases to amaze me about this country: there is no lack of artistic treasures and nowhere near enough time to see them all. I always find myself spending more time than I expect (not that that's a problem!) and in awe at what I find hidden away in some dark, underlit room.

Besides the teriffic sculptures by Donatello and the panel by Ghiberti, there were also a ton of other things to see and gape at. Andrea Pisano's reliefs for Giotto's belltower were magnificent, though the one that immediately caught my attention was his Allegory of Geometry. Having studied Albrecht Durer (note to Professor Connor: I cannot figure out how to accent the u, so his name will be incorrect only due to blogger.com's lack of accents) and his print 'Melancolia' from 1514, I was eager to compare the two. While Durer's work is a print and Pisano's is a carved relief, the two are still radically different. The only real similiarity, to be honest, between the two is the depiction of a woman. Obviously, the two are of different subjects (Durer's being a comment on the philosophy of Heinrich von Nettesheim about the varying degrees of melancholy and Pisano's a display of a scientific/technical endeavor intended for the lower facade of the Campanile facing the Battistero) though the portrayal of the Allegory of Geometry by each artist are almost opposites. Attached to this post is an image of Pisano's Geometry now housed in the Museum along with Donatello's Magdalena.

This post has already gone on longer than I planned, but I think everybody who reads this can see that once I get started talking about these teriffic pieces of art, I simply can't stop. If you come to Florence, you MUST visit this museum. If only to see how Brunelleschi and his workers constructed the Duomo, (for the remnants of the equipment that they used are on exhibit in the lower level), do it. One final thing: the gelaterie and pasticcerie (gelato and pastry shops, respectively) in this country are marvelous. Ice cream in the States is good, but here everything is fresh and beyond delicious. Keep an eye out for Perche No? near OrSanmichele in Florence and Gelato di San Crispino in Rome, as these are my two favorites so far. As long as the gelato is stored in stainless steel containers and the banana is greyish, you are good to go (if you spot plastic cartons or yellow banana, you are eating products of mass consumption and odds are, the taste won't be as good or anywhere near as fresh. Just a few tips) Til my next post,

EK