Architecture

A view of St. Peter’s in Rome, c. 1855

/ get back, laurettadimmick / Leave a comment

I made a new friend at the Denver Art Museum recently. This fairly recent acquisition delighted me!

This is why I love the history of art! I can time travel and see what St. Peter’s looked like around 1855. I’ve stood on the Janiculum Hill in Rome many times and gazed at St. Peter’s from this vantage point. It looks oh, so different nowadays!

Born near Edinburgh, Roberts came to be known as the “Scottish Canaletto” after the 18-century Italian cityscape painter famed for his precise representations of cities and their buildings. For over two decades Roberts traveled through Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East painting and architectural and topographical subjects. He painted this picture following a visit to Italy in 1853, the final stop of his travels before returning to London. For over a century such works had been enormously popular among British collectors as mementos of their Italian sojourns. In an inscription by Roberts he informs us that the work was a gift to the wife of his friend Joseph Arden, “…A Souvenir / of her Visit to Rome.”

Thomas Cole’s Dream of Arcadia, 1838

/ get back, laurettadimmick / Leave a comment

I’ve been haunting the Denver Art Museum lately, reacquainting myself with old friends. And by friends I mean works of art that I used to be in charge of. That was a long time ago, but I’m happy to find that my old friends still are looking great!

Among many friends, this stunning example of 19th century American art by Thomas Cole is and was always one of my favorites. He was an English born, self-taught painter. Both Cole and I had/have a thing for Italy.

In this painting, The Dream of Arcadia from about 1838, Cole drew his inspiration from Greece. The art museum’s website supplies this information:

The theme of Thomas Cole’s Dream of Arcadia is man’s relationship to unspoiled nature. Cole felt that the American wilderness was beginning to disappear as a result of the industrialization of the nation. In this painting, Cole harks back to the land of Arcadia, a rustic, secluded area of ancient Greece. The people who lived in Arcadia led simple, happy lives, in harmony with nature. Cole creates an idyllic image of an unblemished landscape—one where people frolic in the trees, sheep roam the hillside, and children play in the gentle river.

I’ll be posting other old friends from the museum over the next weeks. I’m so happy to see them again!

I made it to Piacenza! Day 1. Piazza dei Cavalli and the church of San Francesco

/ get back, laurettadimmick / Leave a comment

A very short two years ago (how time flies!), I had the immense pleasure of visiting Piacenza for the first time. I loved every second of my time there.

Here are some highlights from the beautiful little city. I arrived about twilight on a November afternoon, which is captured pretty well in these pictures.

The Piazza dei Cavalli is highly photogenic. The city does an excellent job with elegant lighting.

The church of San Francesco

More to come, stay tuned!