#uffitzi

[007silo]

Never look it in the eye... bad hair day #Uffitzi #explorewashingtonct #inspiration #byrdeandtheb #art #farmtosalon #farmtosalonhaircare

[julielemberger]

#boticcelli #uffitzi #graces #italianart #arthistory #womeninart memory of the summer in #Florence #firenze

[tuesdayart-blog1]

Renee’s pick: Doni Tondo. Michelangelo Buonarroti. 1506. Oil and tempera. 

Renee loves Michelangelo. Even though the artist didn’t consider himself a painter he might have fooled us! Renee visited this depiction of the Holy Family at the Uffizi in Florence. It is the only finished panel painting by the mature Michelangelo to survive to present. We talked about the informality of the pose: it’s the painted version of a family snapshot. The elusive Saint Joseph rounds out the triangle of Mary and Jesus, and they are all touching, showing the closeness of their relationship. But what are all the naked people doing the background? Is there some lurid action occurring behind the family? Is it just a compositional or decorative element? Was Michelangelo showing off his knowledge of the body after studying cadavers? The reasons have been lost to history, but the mystery is just as good. We also noted the brightness of the color palette, its relationship to the restored Sistine Chapel figures, and the crazy frame with its carved heads (probably a much later addition).