Who is David?

When it comes to art sculpting no matter who you are you’ve heard the name Michelangelo. Michelangelo was and still is one of the most powerful men in the artistry world, and he’s sculpture of David explains why. The statue represents the hero David in the Bible. Vasari quotes on page 428, “the Marforio in Rome, nor the Tiber and the Nile of the Belvedere, nor the colossal statues of Monte Cavallo can be compared to this David, which Michelangelo completed with so much measure and beauty, and so much skill.” Originally, the statue was suppose to be placed along the roofline of the Florence Cathedral, but instead was placed outside the Palazzo della Signoria. It was re-veiled on September 8^th, 1504. It was deeply cherished by Florentines and the eyes of David, with a warning glare, was turned towards Rome in order to protect Florence. Nevetheless, today you can find David at the Accademia Museum.

The warning eyes of David, in order to protect Florence.

by Michelangelo

"Da Vinci"

Leonardo was born April 15, 1452 in the Tuscany town Vinci, by the Arno River. Leonardo and his family weren’t rich people and Leonardo’s name “da Vinci” simply means “of Vinci.” After studying some of Leonardo da Vinci’s work I really liked his first known piece named “Arno River,” and it can now be found in the Uffizi. I found this piece of artwork interesting because he was so young when he finished it. Although this was his first piece noticed it had a special meaning, and it was as if Leonardo wasn’t trying to be creative. It came naturally to him. The story behind this painting was that two Florentine men collaborated on a project to re-altar the Arno River. Consequently, Leonardo da Vinci had heard about the two Florentines and decided to make his own map. He used different canals and locks, and to change the course of the Arno River. It would help divert the river and would provide Florence with an outlet to the sea, by passing the military base in Pisa. In addition, it would help limit the damage of the surrounding farmlands from flooding. This map later showed his interest in hydrodynamics and its harbinger of his late Arno and Romarantin projects.

Leonardo da Vinci "Arno Valley" (1473)

Vasari's Fra Angelico

It’s rare to find a person who believes so strongly in saints and follows Him everywhere. That is not the case for Fra Giovanni. Giovanni was a good man, who worked hard and had certain religious guidelines for his work. He was born near Fiesole in the 14th century and was baptized. An important detail stated in Vasari’s book, “He shunned all the things of the world; living a pure and saintly life, he befriended the poor just as his soul is, I believe, now befriended by Heaven. He applied himself continuously to his painting and never wanted to work on anything but holy subjects. He could have been rich but cared little about wealth; on the contrary, he used to say that true wealth was nothing but being content with little.” (Page 176)

Fra Angelico painted many frescos and was able to express his deep love for God. Fra Angelico to created a large Crucifixion scene with all different sorts of saints for the Chapter House. Nonetheless, Fra Angelico showed an understanding of linear perspective in his Annunciation paintings.  

"Annunciation" by Fra Angelico 

This fresco is in a corridor of the San Marco convent in Florence. Which led Fra Angelico to spending most of his life in the San Marco convent. This fresco shows Mary and the angel greeting one another and in the background Fra Angelico painted a Tuscan cypresses.

The Beautiful Brancacci Chapel

Brancacci Chapel in Florence, Italy

This week one artist we finished discussing was Masaccio and we actually had the opportunity to visit Brancacci Chapel, which has ”The Tribute Money” a fresco done by Masaccio. This artwork features the story of Peter, Virgin Mary, Jesus, Botticelli and many more. My favorite fresco in the chapel was the Baptism of the Neophytes. I loved this fresco because it shows the purity and helplessness in a human being, and that the people truly trusted Peter. Considering, I was baptized it reminded me the amount of hope and trust you can put into someone.

"Baptism of Neophytes" fresco by Masaccio

I also admired the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden. This fresco shows emotional realism and its vivid colors and energy creates a dramatic image of Adam and Eve. Nonetheless, the pose of Eve is based on the Venus Pudica pose that constructed the nude Aphrodite figures in the Late Classical period. While doing further research on this piece I found out that three centuries after the fresco was painted Cosimo III de' Medici ordered that fig leaves be added to conceal the genitals of both Adam and Eve. In addition, the fig leafs were removed in the 1980s when the painting was fully restored and cleaned.

"Expulsion of the Garden of Eden" fresco by Masaccio 

Leon Battista Alberti

As stated in Vasari, “Leon Battista never produced any great or unusually beautiful works, since those that can be still seen are less than perfect; nor is this surprising since he spent more time on his studies than on the art of design.” (page 183)  Leon Battista Alberti was a very studious man he studied at the famous school of Gasparino Barzizza in Padua and finished his academics at the University of Bologna. Battista created amazing architecture, but never stepped outside the box. His work and imagination was very simple and predictable. He is very famous for his architecture at the façade of Palazzo Rucellai and the façade of Santa Maria Novella. For instance, Palazzo Rucellai is a landmark Renaissance palace in Florence. Palazzo Rucellai is considered the spirit of the fifteenth century Humanism of residential architecture. The palace was an attachment of eight smaller buildings. It has been home to the Rucellai family for over 500 years. Nonetheless, Vasari also states “Nevertheless he could demonstrate his ideas quite well with his drawings as can be seen in some sheets in his hands included in our book” (Page 183). I personally, think Leon Battista Alberti was very book smart. Reviewing his personal history and different projects I feel he wasn’t imaginative. 

 Palazzo Rucellai 

The Genius Behind The Beauty

Filippo Brunelleschi was a genius, and I think every person in Florence would agree. He is one of the most famous artists in Italy. Brunelleschi was the mastermind behind the most beautiful piece of architecture in Florence, The Duomo. Which, may also be known as Santa Maria del Fiore. The beautiful dome is located in Piazza del Duomo. The project began in 1296 in the Gothic style and in 1436 it was engineered by Filippo Brunelleschi. The outside of the dome has marble panels in different shades of green and pink with white border. Its most extreme asset is the size of the dome and the massive shell of concrete on the top. Since I’ve moved to Florence I have made it a priority to walk to the Duomo at least once a day. Nonetheless, no matter how many times a walk past The Duomo I will never fully accept its architecture because I will never get over is beauty. 

The Duomo in Firenze, Italy

My favorite view of The Duomo