Art in the Ufizzi

I started off with the Maestas of Cimabue, below,  Duccio and Giotto.  The title of Majesties is given to depictions of the Enthroned madonna with Child surrounded by Angels and Saints.  The technique is of tempura on wood with gold leaf background.  Comparing the works you can see the change in style that occurred in Italian painting at the end of the 13th Century.

Cimabue is still depending on the Greek-Byzantine style.

A more natural representation of the same subject can be seen in the work by Duccio.

But it's with Giotto that a new style can be noted, his bodies are positioned in a three dimensional space with bodies being able to express their emotions through their facial expressions and gestures.  For the first time you can see the body of the Madonna under her clothes.  look back at the others majesties to see the difference.

Mantegna

Simone Martini - Annunciation - painted for the cathedral in Siena.  He painted his madonna's with an "S" shape, very delicate and beautiful.  

Extract from Lorenzetti Four Stories from the Life of Saint Nicholas.  I loved this scene.

Fillipi Lippi Madonna and Child with Two Angels.  One of my all time favourite paintings.  I bought a new print of this to replace the one that has faded.

Lippi painted such beautiful figures with delicate hair entwined with pearls.  

Piero della Francesco, Duke and Duchess of Urbino

Botticelli, Portrait of a Young man with a Medal.

Cima de Conegliano

Francia

Ghirlandiao

Michelangelo

Fillipi Lippi

Fra Angelico

Caravaggio

What a wonderful feast of Italian renaissance paintings?

A day in Florence

I took the Italo train to Florence on Tuesday.  The forecast was good and I didn't want to leave it any later as by Thursday the temperature was forecast to be 22'  Too hot for me to walk around all day in winter clothes.  I took a taxi from the station to the Duomo, looked around the market, but I didn't buy a leather coat or handbag. Having a toast and water in the piazza I saw someone I knew from Venice.  Charlie brings students every year for two months of studying art.  His six weeks in Venice were up when I saw him at church on my first Sunday.  I'd forgotten they were moving onto Florence.  But as I was penned in I couldn't get to talk to him.

A few photos of the Duomo, designed by Brunelleschi, Campanile and Baptistry designed by Giotto.  If any of you saw the Alexandra Armstrong programme about Florence he talked a lot about how he got the commission.

The Palazzo Vecchio with the copy of Michelangelo's statue of David in front.

A yoga class on the baks of the river Arno.

The Ponte Vecchio.

Part of the Vasari corridor which links the Palazzo Vecchio, home of the Medici's with the Pitti Palace.

The main part of my day was going to the Ufizzi Gallery, it's over 25 years since I last visited it.

These photos are of the hills south of the city and Michelangelo's Piazza. 

From the gallery.

Great view of the Vasari corridor which continues out of the Ufizzi and over the top of the bridge before dropping down to the Palazzo.

Views from the new restaurant terrace.  A wonderful place to relax after seeing all that gorgeous art work.  As I was leaving the cafe someone shouted Kathryn, it was Charlie, who I'd seen earlier.  Talk about coincidences.

A reflection.

Photos of some of my favourite paintings tomorrow.