We had an early booking at the Uffizi today. This is our second trip here in a year. We loved hearing our professor and the two guides give us insight into a selected group of paintings; last year we were more on our own. This really was a golden age for art. As was the case for me last year, I am most drawn to paintings of the annunciation…hardly narrowing down the collection as this is a chief theme of Renaissance art.
A painting that I learned about for the first time is an incomplete one, by Da Vinci. Our guide, who is from Vinci, gave us some details about the genius and his eccentricities. In all of the Uffizi, there are only three works by Da Vinci– and this large one is unfinished. It was unpleasing to its patron or maybe a bishop, due to it’s realistic and unconventional depiction of the visit of the Magi. I took a photo of a detail for a fun example. An infant Jesus sort of makes the three fingered blessing sign with one baby hand, while the other baby hand reaches out to touch the shiny gift.
Da Vinci had more luck in Milan.
The terrace at the end of the Vasari gallery has beautiful views, even on a rainy day.
Leave a Reply