May 22

Today we went to the Uffizi Museum! We did a super fun scavenger hunt and got to see so many beautiful pieces of art! Here’s what I found during our scavenger hunt!

  1. The first painting was a Maesta by Giotto. This piece was made in the early part of the Renaissance. It still has remnants of Gothic style as there are not expressive facial expressions and little to no perspective. There is not much movement displayed through the painting. It displays the Renaissance movement as the clothing worn has more dimension, and the angle the angels are at are more interactive than traditional gothic art. The Maesta is a great example of the transition from Gothic to the Renaissance as it displays features from both time periods. 
  2. The next thing we saw was a portrait panel of the Duke and Duchess of Urbino by Piero della Francesca. The painting of the Duke was an example of Renaissance individualism as the artist showed attention to different details. The duke’s nose, chin, and hair texture is different then most pieces we see from this period. The Duchess is also displayed less as a human but as a show of status for the Duke. Although she doesn’t fit today’s beauty standards- she was probably considered gorgeous during the Renaissance, with her pasty skin and hair. 
  3. The exercise of recreating a Renaissance painting revealed to me that the movements painters tried to depict were very intentional. Every part of the subject’s body is very intentional in telling you a story. For example, the painting Hope and I re-created, the angle the man stands in is inviting the viewer into the moment. The way his hand is positioned shows that he is talking. Also the way he holds the books shows that he is on the go. The details tell so much of the story.
  4. Paolo Unccelo’s Battle of Saint Romano uses one-point linear perspective to help the viewer understand what they are looking at. All of the points led to one point and helped your attention. 
  5. Seeing the Birth of Venus was one of my favorite parts of today’s visit. This is a piece that I have always admired and loved because of my fascination with Greek/Roman mythology. This painting represents Venus being formed from sea foam- a common story in ancient Roman/Greek mythology. This differs from a lot of the other pieces we have been seeing as it is a different religion than Christianity. 
  6. Next we saw Leonardo Da Vinci’s Adoration of the Magi. This was an interesting piece as it was not finished. Five aspects I found interesting were how the faces and eyes looked hallowed in. Also the contrast between the dark and light oil colors. Also the ages of people in the painting shift from old to young as you go from the front to the back. It also is a different setting then most of the other paintings we’ve seen. I found the desperation in the subject’s faces were very interesting to look at. 
  7. The next piece was Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo- which was an odd one in our group’s opinion. The way she is holding the baby’s parts is very awkward, however it is not sexual. Michelangelo was not afraid of showing the nude and it is shown in this piece. Something I found interesting is that the patron originally didn’t want the painting, but his wife did; so when he came back to buy it, Michelangelo sold it back for double the price. 
  8. One of the only paintings done by a female was Judith beheading Holofernes by artemisia gentiles chi. This piece is very interesting and feels dangerous yet empowering at the same time. Women did not have as much freedom in the Renaissance as we experience in today’s current age- so the women beheading someone is such a forward movement. 
  9. My favorite painting was definitely the Birth of Venus- as this is a piece I have always loved! It has such a softness to it that is so beautiful- just like the goddess Venus!