art | Daydream Tourist

Jun 19

Bernini’s Rejected French Sculpture

Bernini created the interior marble facade, canopy and high altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City (Photo: rachel_titiriga, flickr)

Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598 – 1680) should be familiar to visitors to Rome. He essentially created the Baroque city that we see today producing sculptures, fountains, buildings and the majority of the interior of St. Peter’s Basilica. Considering that he started creating accurate portrait busts at 14 and continued to work until he was 82, Bernini is deservedly known as a prolific genius. But did you know that even his work was occasionally rejected? Read more

Jun 17

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Big Thank Yous!

I want to send a big Thank You to all my readers! I write to satisfy my own fascination and passion for art and travel and it makes me happy that others find these things as interesting as I do. Within the WordPress blogging community there are several awards that are passed around through peer nomination. I have been honored to get four of these over the last year but haven’t had a chance to write about them! And so I need to catch up on some long overdue thanks to these wonderful bloggers who nominated me: MidLife Traveler, will wander…, Florence and the Historian, and Sharp and Keen!

Jun 11

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Inside Mont Saint Michel

So after walking to and around Mont Saint Michel, you’re probably wondering what is inside this mystic fortress. While strategically important, the site was first settled as a religious community and so it contains an extensive and historic abbey. The Romanesque style Abbey Church, Cloisters and support rooms are incredible. After the French Revolution, the site was used as a prison but was reclaimed in the late 19th century as a historical landmark. The stone architecture underwent several waves of restoration to reveal the original medieval complex (with the exception of iconic steeple topped by a St. Michael statue).

Jun 6

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Outside Mont Saint-Michel

Mont Saint-Michel has always seemed liked a mystic place. Totally isolated, the massive religious fortress seems to rise from the sea. Settled by a hermit saint in 8th century on a tidal rock, kings and commoners alike have sought out this place continually ever since. One of the most recognizable places in France and a UNESCO World Heritage site, you better believe I was going to spend some time exploring Mont Saint-Michel! So in the spirit of those medieval travelers who made the pilgrimage to the Romanesque Church of the Abbey crowning the mountain, here’s how I approached and climbed Mont Saint-Michel.

Jun 3

John Everett Millais, "Ophelia", Tate Gallery, London

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Millasis’s Pre-Raphaelite Ophelia Up Close

The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs who all post on a common theme. This month we are discussing great paintings! Below are links to the rest of the group’s posts this month. I’m curious to see what everyone picked!