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Author and philanthropist, Dr. Jane Fortune is founder and chair of the Advancing Women Artists Foundation and creator of the Jane Fortune Research Program on Women Artists in the Age of the Medici at the Medici Archive Project. Her books include When the World Answered: Florence, Women Artists and the 1966 Flood; To Florence, Con Amore: 90 Ways to Love the City; Art by Women in Florence and Invisible Women: Forgotten Artists of Florence. She is known as “Indiana Jane” because of her efforts to identify and restore art by women artists in Florentine museums and deposits.
An annunciation is an announcement, a proclamation. In Christianity, the annunciation is the moment the angel Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary, telling her that she will bear the son of God. A feast to celebrate this event is observed on March 25, and it is an important subject of
Tania Vartan’s stunning apartment, which is covered floor to ceiling with her elegant trompe l’oeil designs and delicious, decorative paintings, is a feast for the eyes and the creative senses. Her transformation of a drab Ikea cabinet into a beautiful furniture piece is awe-inspiring, especially
A treasure trove of trompe l’oeil painting, a stone prison turned into a showplace for sculpture, and a workshop for exquisite pietra dura creations: a visit to these three gems of Florence offer a rich visual experience that will leave you pondering the distinction between art and craft. &
Gina Lollobrigida, actress, painter, photographer, and sculptress. Before she was a film star, Gina Lollobrigida was an art student. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome and, after a very successful film career, went back to her artistic beginnings—sculpture. Inspired by Italian sculptor Giacomo
Spring is the region’s most beautiful season and a wonderful time to discover historic and museum gardens as well as outdoor sculpture parks. It is also an opportunity to explore contemporary art. Here are three reasons to venture beyond Florence and enjoy art outdoors. A
The Florence Committee of the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) recently restored Suor Plautilla Nell i’s Lamentaion with Saints, housed in Museo di San Marco. Suor Plautilla Nelli is the first known woman painter of Florence, as some readers will recall from a previous column (
Many religious orders had monumental representations of the Last Supper in the refectories (or eating rooms) of their monasteries and convents. This choice of subject matter was to remind the religious of Christ’s sacrificial self-perpetuation in the form of bread and wine. All monasteries were taken over
La Crocifissione del Perugino In the Convent of Santa Maria Maddalena dei Pazzi via Borgo Pinti, 58 Monday–Sunday, 9am–12pm and 5pm–7pm (but hours vary; please check first) Donation: 1.30 euro Information: 055.24 78 420 Founded in 1321, the convent was named
Church of Santo Spirito (in the sacristy, where the postcards are sold) Piazza Santo Spirito Open for Sunday mass: 8am; 10:30 am Although not particularly easy to find, this exquisite polychrome wood sculpture was probably originally created for Santo Spirito’s high altar. It is still debated
Florence is home to 70 museums, both large and small, but its art history is mainly concentrated in three of the city’s most visited galleries—the Uffizi, the Palatine at the Pitti Palace and the Academia. The Uffizi holds the Medici family collection, which begins with
Built by the city guilds, which encompassed both civil and religious functions, Orsanmichele was constructed in 1336, on the site of San Michele monastery’s kitchen garden. Originally a grain market, ...
Once the life-blood of Florence, the traditional artisan has all but disappeared because of industry and the bureaucracy of unions. These days, apprentices with no experience have to be paid, whereas with guilds, only the master was paid to teach the secrets of his craft. Today, few masters can
Women artists often tried their hand at painting lofty subjects, but their knowledge was mostly secondhand and supported solely by viewing other paintings. Since women painters were excluded from higher forms of artistic training, their experience of the world was often limited to the domestic sphere and household objects, or
In the Middle Ages, artists had little flexibility for expression, especially when painting devout themes with moral undertones. Renaissance iconography continued to be religious and mythical, but it became more common for artists to depict the human form. By the 16th century, still-life had evolved considerably, and painters started
A special exhibition honoring the Medici family is currently touring the United States. Natura Morta - Still-Life Painting and the Medici Collections consists of 43 works from the 16th to 18th century, by Italian, Dutch, Flemish and French artists. It also includes several pieces of Italian pietre dure (colored stone-
Five works worth a trip In many cities in Italy, there is one piece of art that stands out above all others. This week, I will highlight five Italian cities and the one precious work of art, or an artist’s composite of works. These works often do not
