Location: Florence Weather: 15C, rain
May 3-5, 2019
Whether or not you consider yourself an art lover, you cannot visit Florence without exploring some of the many masterpieces the city has on display. From portraits proudly hung on gallery walls to faded frescoes in tucked away churches, art is everywhere in Florence. Or more like, art is Florence and Florence is art! Two of the masters of the Renaissance, Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci both spent a lot of time in the city and left quite the legacy.
The most obvious, and popular, by far, is one particular work by Michelangelo : David. Standing an impressive 17ft, proudly displayed in a rotunda built exclusively to showcase this jaw dropping art piece, David is truly a sight to behold. The hype is real; he’s magnificent.
Michelangelo was only 26years old when he completed this project after 2 years of work. He was originally commissioned to create this statue of the biblical hero to sit on top of the Florence Cathedral, however it soon became apparent that it would be too heavy and large for such a location. A panel of experts was convened, Da Vinci among them, and the decision was made to move the imposing marble sculpture to stand guard outside the Palazzo Veccio. It stood in that location until the late 1800’s where it was finally given a permenant jn door home in the Academia.
Michelangelo ‘s work on David is considered one of the Renaissance ‘s masterpieces. His attention to detail is precise and remarkable. One cannot help but to stand in awe!
L’Academia also has other unique if not impressive works my Michelangelo : his Prisoners or Slaves series. What makes these unique are that they are unfinished. Pope Julius II commissioned the artist in 1505 to design his tomb, the slaves sculptures to be the highlight. However, before he could complete it, the Pope hired him for another small little project of painting a ceiling, work that would keep him occupied for 5 years.
The beauty of these non-finito is that it provides us with a glimpse as to Michelangelo ‘s style and process. Michelangelo believed the sculptor was a tool of God, not creating but simply revealing the powerful figures already contained in the marble. The tool marks are visible, making obvious that he worked free hand and not from a marked block of marble as did most of his contempories. The man was a genius!
Florence is filled with other spectacular art museums and masters other than Michelangelo ‘s work, such as the Palatine Gallery in the Piti Palace and the Uffizi Gallery. Masterpieces by Raphaël, Michelangelo (he wasn’t just a sculptor!), Leonardo Da Vinci, Botticelli, to name a few.
