Art Gallery // Michelangelo 1475-1564

David, detail

One of my greatest passions is Art, a huge source of inspiration and fundamental part of my personality. Consequently, I decided that it should not be missing from my blog, therefore, I am kicking off a new series of blog posts, sharing my thoughts about my favorite artists, of past and present.

Visual arts (architecture, painting, sculpture, photography), Performing arts (dance, music, theatre, film, opera) and Literature are my personal favorite means of entertainment, an uplifting process for my soul and substantial stimuli for my mind. So, please, don't get me wrong here, I am not suggesting I am an "art critic" or any kind of art-related professional, but a humble admirer.

Art History was one of the courses I really enjoyed at the University, which introduced me to the work and personality of Michelangelo, the great Italian sculptor, painter and architect of Renaissance. The reason why I picked him first in this new series of posts is... actually two: 1. the realistic forms of his sculptures and 2. the vivid colors of his paintings.

In 2018, we travelled to Italy and visited museums that displayed some of his most famous artworks, like David in Galleria dell' Accademia and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel inside The Vatican. I was speechless, breathless, amazed, stunned and deeply moved seeing these masterpieces, miracles of the modern world, from so close, almost touching them.

His marble statues (David, The Pietà, Moses) look like humans, with tensed muscles, veins, frowns and have face expressions like anger, sorrow or fear. And, for a split second, made me wondering: did she just move? is he looking at me? The only thing "not human" about them is their magnitude, their massive size. Gigantic, on pedestals and astoundingly beautiful they could easily be mistaken for Gods. On the other hand, the paintings of the Sistine Chapel are overflowing with vibrant colors and nudity, which makes them incredibly modern and contemporary, although they were created five hundred years ago!

The great art historian, Giorgio Vasari, in his book Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects noted, "who he serves the art of painting, does not look for innovation, bold posture, the movement of clothes or terribiltà... because any perfection this art can reach exists here, on the ceiling of the Cappella Sistina" - free translation by me.

xoxo

|barefoot duchess|

Photos via Wikipedia