Italy | Daydream Tourist

Jul 7

Brunelleschi the Architect: More Than Florence’s Duomo

The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs to post on a common theme. This month we are looking at architecture. Check out all the stories below!

Florence Cathedral Duomo (Photo: Flickr, Bruce Stokes)

If you know Florence, Italy, then you know Filippo Brunelleschi. He was the architect who designed and constructed the soaring dome of the Florence Cathedral. While still impressive today, this engineering feat was revolutionary in the 15th century. But what many people don’t realize is that Brunelleschi completed several other equally influential buildings in Florence. Brunelleschi’s chapels and churches set the standard for Renaissance architecture by re-introducing and expanding on Roman architectural concepts. The harmonious and proportioned designs of Brunelleschi’s buildings makes them a must-see, even in a city overflowing with fantastic art.

Apr 7

Eyes of St. Anne from "Virgin and Child with St. Anne"

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Science & Sfumato – Technical Analysis to Aid Art Historians

This post is part of a larger on-line symposium to honor the late Hasan Niyazi, the self-taught art historian behind Three Pipe Problem. Hasan championed art history, critical analysis, valuable online discourse, and all things Raphael! As part of this April 6th celebration (Raphael’s birthday), you can read all of the posts here. He is missed by all those who knew him personally or through his active engagement with readers online.

The Mona Lisa’s mysterious sfumato being quantified. (Image from [1])

I always appreciated that Hasan advocated for scientific research and technical analysis as a complimentary approach to historical research and stylistic connoisseurship. Art is fundamentally material science even if the end result can be ascribed beauty or emotional intensity. Thus it makes sense to use analytical techniques to understand how a piece of art was constructed in order to understand to creative process and the end product.

Given the numerous Three Pipe Problem posts on Leonardo da Vinci and the continuing struggle to attribute two recent works – Salvator Mundi and La Bella Principessa, I thought it would be useful to return to this enigmatic artist. Da Vinci’s experimentation with material and techniques is anecdotally well-known. But really what do we know about his luminous sfumato faces? One recent study confirmed the nearly impossible.

Mar 3

Bowls for sale in the Grand Bazaar, Istanbul, Turkey

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Ceramic Folk Art from Around the World

The monthly ArtSmart Roundtable brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs to post on a common theme. This month we are focusing on National Art – whether iconic styles that remind us of a certain place, or a movements that developed in and became emblematic of a region. Be sure to check out everyone’s posts below!

Simple but very functional, I got this olive dish in Siena, Italy.

Every culture makes utilitarian objects like furniture, clothing and ceramics. Folk art is decoration applied to these functional items which reflects the tastes of a people. In addition to seeing works from professional artists in a national museum, I am always on the look-out for local craftspeople or cultural museums that show off local folk art. As a lens to compare several cultures, let’s take a look at some traditional ceramic styles around the globe.

Jan 30

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Flowers and Old Stones

The East Coast of the US has been blasted with some terribly cold weather the last two weeks. To warm up, I’ve been digging through my summer photos! I’ve noticed a nice handful of picture in the genre of “Flowers & Old Stones.” There is something really beautiful about juxtaposing the rich texture of archaeological remains and colorful flowers.

Ephesus, Turkey

Jan 6

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Threatened Venice: Why You Need to Visit Now

Happy 2014! Ready for another exciting year of the ArtSmart Roundtable? Of course! This group brings together some of the best art-focused travel blogs to post on a common theme each month. To wish you all a happy New Year, this month we’re focusing on Art to see in 2014! Check out all of the ArtSmart posts below.

While I’m sure my friends are taking a very optimistic interpretation of this month’s topic, it actually got me thinking, “What do I need to see now before it is gone?” This last year brought us the destruction of UNESCO World Heritage sites in Mali, rising tides encroaching on Pacific Islands, further decay at Pompeii and threats to the archaeological sites in Egypt due to on-going political turmoil. There is a distinct possibility that our human actions (whether environmental or political) will destroy magnificent works of art and history critical to our cultural heritage. I can think of one complicated and threatened city that deserves a visit before it changes irrevocably. If you haven’t been, now is the time to see Venice. Hopefully you will see how beautiful and timeless the city is and can become an advocate for its preservation.