More Moments...Art in Florence

We've been back home at The Nut now for a couple of days, but I still wanted to post some moments from our time in Florence...

It really was a nice side trip, and we can't thank our friends enough for letting us use their voucher for Kraft Hotel. The hotel is way nicer than places we normally stay, so what a special treat.

We're sad they couldn't make the trip, but thrilled they thought of us to gift it to!

Again...

Grazie Mille, Dee & Sasha!!

The requisite hotel elevator Mirror Shot!

For three days, we just walked the streets, visiting favorite spots, and finding new places. 

For me, it's just a treasure trove of photo opportunities....

One of many frame shops we spotted.

Waiting outside as Johnny did some shopping for art supplies at his favorite place.

Evening in the piazza. Such great people watching!

So nice to be in Florence without the massive crowds.

 

Time for a Spritz!

Campari for me, Aperol for Mr. J.

Another evening, another favorite spot for wine.

We visited The Uffizzi for the first time in over 20 years...again, taking advantage of less people traveling. We booked an early time slot, and had the place to ourselves, for the most part.

Here is a piece that particularly touched me...

BEATO ANGELICO
The Pontassieve Madonna
Tempera on wood 134x59
c. 1435

There was just something so extraordinary about the eyes of both the Madonna and the Child...

Plus, the loving way they are touching each other...I don't know. Maybe it has to do with me losing my Mom recently...

Most of the 'babies' in these paintings are pretty scary and/or creepy...but this was just lovely.

I also really enjoyed seeing this trippy dome in a side room. The cupola looked like it was made of glass bottle bottoms, and then there is this super cool inlay of maybe oyster shell? Not sure, but I loved the light and textural contrasts...

Not the best close up, but you get the idea...mosaic of some type of shell.

Great detail.

Because I'm a fan of installation and conceptual artworks, I was happy to see some works by Giuseppi Penone, a contemporary Italian artist we've seen exhibits of before.

There were several works scattered throughout  The Uffizzi, as well as a few huge pieces outside around the piazza.

His works a lot with natural materials, and these pieces were my favorites...

Here, he takes trunks of dead trees down to the core, which is just an amazing concept to me.

We saw this piece at the Venice Biennale a few years ago.
I loved it then, and was excited to see it again.

But...just as stunning were these massive canvases. There were maybe 3 or 4 of them, and I didn't know what they were until I got up really close. (no...I didn't set off any alarms. This time....)

At first I thought it was an old map or something...
This was huge.

These are acacia tree thorns. Thousands of them.
I love this!

Anyway, it was loads of fun to see some art, old and new.

Here are some moments just walking around on a pretty day...in Florence...

And, as always, we made our pilgrimage to the Church of Santa Felicita to warm ourselves in the glow of the artist Jacopo Carucci, simply known as 'Pontormo'....

Sublime.

Other Worldly...

That's it for Florence.

We are happily tucked back into our Nut, waiting for some much needed rain, and thinking we might run to the weekly market for veg and flowers, before the showers start.

I'll keep posting!

Thanks for being there, Dear Readers...

Getting Together With Monet

  I guess it was about two weeks ago...We took the train to Rome for a day trip. There is a Monet exhibition going on, which seemed like a must see, and we needed to visit a favorite spot for lunch.

  I wrote about the day here, but really wanted to go more into the actual exhibition a little more.

  I was quite taken by this show

  The paintings are on loan from the delightful Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris. We have been there a few times, but not in well over a decade. Honestly, I just don't remember being so blown away by the work. 

  Silly me.

  On entering the show, you walk through a gently moving video display of Monet's waterlilies. A very nice effect.

Arriving early was great We had the place mostly to ourselves.

  The first piece you come across is this good sized painting of white clematis, which I loved. 

  The wall colors they chose were just perfect, and both Johnny and I started thinking about a color 'accent wall' in the new gallery...

  There are some lovely landscapes represented in the show, this one, below, being my favorite .

  It's so simple, it seems as though it wasn't even finished. 

  My first hit... "This guy was pretty modern for his day".

  Silly me. 

  The '"Father of Impressionism"?  Yeah, he was way out there for his time, of course.

Love.

  I really enjoyed seeing the display which includes his palette, his last pair of glasses, and his smoking pipe. All very cool, but the palette drew me right in, as I am always taking photos of Johnny's palette as he paints.

  As we worked through the earliest pieces, which I liked, and got into the rooms featuring the later works from his garden in Giverny, I started seeing these as abstract paintings.

  I know that Monet could not see well in his later days, which helped to create this particular effect so well, but I never really stood and looked the way I did on this day.

Sure, it's a painting of a reflection in water, but I just see color and line.
But... what color, and what line...

  I knew right away I wanted to write my impressions of the exhibition, so I took photos of the paintings that I sort of centered in on...the whole painting, then close ups, which I was excited by. Seeing the paint strokes so close, and the blending colors. 

  Each canvas had interesting 'moments of abstraction', at least to me.

  I always mention, when writing about art, that I don't have any solid art education, I just know what I react to. I am not pretending to be a critic...I just like or don't like. 

  

This is me reacting to Monet- Hey, Monet...I like!

Wonderful shape, color and movement.

  I loved the larger pieces that had lots of negative space.

Rose arbor.

Up close.

  One space has three large horizontal paintings. Two featuring a wisteria vine, and one water lily piece.

  These were so loose, they took my breath away.

  This one was like smoke, it was so light and loose.

A very gentle touch, but with so much power.

Almost not there at all.

   The large water lily painting made me instantly think of Joan Mitchell, one of my favorite Abstract Expressionist painters from back in the day.

So much white space here.

Up close, it's just so marvelous.
So contemporary.

  There are also several weeping willow paintings, as well. A very different feel, as they are very dark.

  But to me, very abstract in form, and so much 'action'.

Up close.

  

  I felt so honored to be able to get right up to these paintings to get the close up shots. 

  Each one had several small areas that were standouts.

  These are more representational, but still have these small 'moments' within them that I was so drawn to.

Very active.
Great color combination.

I love this subtle color combo.
Nice lines, too.

You can get right in there and see each brush stroke.

  At one point, I ran back to the willow tree room to get shots of this one...I just couldn't help myself.

This is it's own abstract painting, within the painting.

  Last one for me, the Rose Path.
  Having been in this garden, in Giverny, made this show more special. For sure.
  Seeing these paintings again, some ten years later, with a more developed consciousness of contemporary art, expressionism and abstraction, made this a visual feast.
  And I ate it up.

Wow. Just wow.

Thanks, Claude.

  The show has been extended until sometime in June:
  Monet in Rome ....Now!