Can you see what I am doing? I am not just another pretty face, I serve a purpose in a major European church!
Sculpture
Art, from another angle
Here’s a strong visual clue. But there is still more to this object and the animal represented is performing an activity for the architect. Can you tell what it is?
Art, 3 steps back.
Final shot of an insignificant artwork (that some talented male artist in Florence once created on a commission, using his trained and innate skills; tempus fugit and so does recognition for 95% of us regular humans. We each have our brief moment on the stage and then poof! we are gone [Thanks for the quote to Shakespeare] ). Remember to live in the moment. The wisest words probably ever spoken.
Ciao, bella! It was lovely to know you, however briefly. Knowing you enriched my life and I am grateful.
Half step forward, 2 steps back
There is so much art in Italy and Florence in particular that relief sculpture like this one goes unnoticed. It is nothing special. It was at eye level when I walked out of the Boboli Gardens and I just felt like playing around with the image. I was in a photography frame of mind and wanted to stay out in the winter sunshine as long as possible.
Art, one step back
Art, up close and personal
Cutting edge old master art
I posted about Cellini’s Perseus here a couple of days ago. Ms. Medusa should never have messed with Mr. Perseus if she wanted to keep her gorgeous head attached to her beautiful body.
Spending the better part of a day yesterday admiring the fabulous collection at the Uffizi Gallery, I couldn’t help but notice how often heads seemed to be rolling. Or prepared to be rolling. Could no one find a better way to solve a problem than beheading? With a sharp edge?
Poor adolescent Isaac in this painting. His dad, Abraham, was willing to cut off his head to please his god. If you know the story, you know that at the lost possible moment an angel showed up and talked Abraham back from the ledge.
Yikes! Stay away from cutting edges if you inhabit the historical world. It is a very dangerous place!
And don’t even get me started on David and Goliath! I’ll be at the Bargello in coming days and I promise I’ll be discussing that theme and Donatello after that.
Prepare yourselves.
This might get bloody.
Ha ha. Never.
Ouch!!
Do not mess with Perseus.
He doesn’t play.
And he is not only out for blood, but he’ll take your head right along with it.
Who: Benvenuto Cellini
What: Perseus with the Head of Medusa
When: c. 1545
Where: Loggia dei Lanzi, Piazza della Signoria, Florence
Why: Because he wanted to. Ha ha. Kidding. His patron commissioned it.
Wickedly, hatefully, mercilessly and brutally expressed. Undeniably gorgeous.
Some people (too many, alas; there, I said it!) come to Florence for the gelato.
Not me.
I come for the wicked beauty. The wickeder, the better. The more beautiful, even beyond wicked. And unquestionably better.
Ghiberti’s “Gates of Heaven” currently look like doors to a bank!
The Florence Baptistery is currently enveloped in a gray shrouding of some sort. This friendly detective, at your service, is on the case and will update you when information becomes available.
Seriously, are they cleaning it under the shroud or is the monument wrapped up to keep it warm for the winter?
I’ll get back to you on that!
UPDATE: According to my local anonymous sources: the shroud covers the scaffolding which was erected so the monument can be cleaned and shined up to match the shining Duomo, since they are more or less a matched set.
In the meantime, this is how the doors that Michelangelo called “the gates of paradise” look today. You can’t tell if these tourists are lining up to look at the art or queing up to draw money from the ATM. Oh, wait a minute, no one ques in Italy, so it must be the art!
Do you see what I see?
Dante’s been keeping watch over Santa Croce for me. He is still strong and silent. I assume he’s dark and handsome; he’s certainly tall.
get back, lauretta! 
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