Right after breakfast this morning, we had a short seminar about linear perspective. This is the place to learn about the innovation in painting that made pictures have depth. As an invention, it is attributed to Filippo Brunelleschi. Today was his day, since he also was responsible for constructing the largest free standing dome in Europe. Here in Florence, it covers part of the cathedral.
The advance of linear perspective is dated to 1415, and once a viewer saw paintings with depth, it became very popular. I can only imagine it would be like having to watch color TV on a black and white screen– once color was possible, you’d not want to return to the other.
We were off to the museum of San Marco next. A former Dominican convent, it was patronized by Cosimo d’Medici. It is famous for two others: the painter Fra Angelico, and the monk Savonarola.
Fra Angelico painted frescos right on the walls of the monks’ cells. Most of the ones we saw were variations of the crucifiction. The lovely annunciation above was in major passageway, and monks would have paid homage to it daily.
Given that Cosimo d’Medici invested so heavily in the convent, it is a bit ironic that the person responsible for one of the several downfalls of the d’Medici family several decades later was a monk in this convent. Savonarola preached against the arts and letters of the Renaissance. He was responsible for the infamous “Bonfire of the Vanities,” when, in a religious fervor, people burned books, art, and other “vanities.” Savonarola was excommunicated, but still had a following. Eventually he was jailed and burned to ashes so that no part of his body could become a relic.
We headed off to the Duomo complex (baptistry, cathedral and bell tower). From the outside, the complex is impressive because each of the three structures has a bright, patterned exterior. The cathedral itself is huge. Last year Mark and I only went into the Baptistry, so it was exciting this time to inside the cathedral itself. The ceiling of the cathedral dome is fascinating. It is paintedin concentric rings move from the prophets, to the saints, to the angles, and then the common folk s saved on judgement day, with the outside lower ring – the largest, full of people sent to hell.
Next we walked up narrow stone steps nearly to the top of the cathedral. We emerged into a small inner chamber where we were received by these giant plaster statues of saints made centuries ago to decorate the cathedral for a d’Medici wedding. They are too big and to remove so they stay.
Then we were outside, in the drizzle, on a stone ledge or catwalk with a beautiful view of Florence, and close up of the outside walls of the cathedral. It was awesome.
Our afternoon and evening held a thorough tour of the Duomo Museum (and the cathedral doors by Pisano and Ghiberti), some shopping, dinner and (of course) gelato…
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