Otterbein in Italy

Italy, Politics, and Twitter

2010-12-17T14:01:00.001-05:00

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/17/anti-berlusconi-tweets-fill-summit-screens/?scp=5&sq=italy&st=cse

Thought all might find this interesting.

From Courtney: Once in a lifetime

2010-12-12T12:32:00.000-05:00

Its over... i cant believe it. We have actually finished our two week trip to Italy and there are not even words to describe this experience. I would have almost have to say while i was here i felt as if i was living a different life, living in a dream. No classes, no work, no stress (for the most part)... visiting some of the most beautiful and famous locations in the world, eating out for literally almost every meal, shopping... it all seems too good to be true. And although as i sit here and look back on all the great things we got to do, all the amazing places we got to go, and the beautiful pictures i got to see those are not the things i am going to remember most. What i will remember most is these 14 fellow students and the relationships i formed with them. I was so scared when i signed up for this class because I only knew 2 people. Then a little bit of the fear went away as i got to know a hand full of others throughout the duration of the 10 weeks during the class. But as we boarded the plane 2 weeks ago to leave the united states i was worried because i didnt know anything about at least half of the people i was leaving the country with, heck i couldnt even remember a few peoples names.
But now... after two weeks of living with these people i can say i couldnt have asked for a better group. Not only do i know everyones name, and not only have i had converstations with each individual on this trip, i have created friendships. People who i never even spoke too during the 10 week class i was going to dinner with or shopping with on a regular basis. We shared amazing experiences together, enjoyed gelato together, we even cried some... we got sick together, we laughed together, we even beleted out old school songs together while playing cards. I know that visiting the Vatican and the Uffizi and the canals of venice are experiences i will never forget but what made this trip and what i cherish most are the memories i have at those locations because of the people who surrounded me.

Thank you Ashley, Erin, Kelley, Jimmy, Jeff, Kailee, Andrea, Olivia, Melissa, Jazmyne, Kayleigh, Anna, Lisa, and Kat for being the coolest people I could have asked for to hang with in Italy!!!

Ciao Italy!...I will be back :)

2010-12-12T12:27:00.003-05:00

So I have to say that I have a bitter sweet feeling right now. This experience has been one of a kind and truly amazing. I have gained a lot from this trip and feel so thankful to have been given the opportunity to have this experience. Being on this trip has allowed me to grow so much as a person in many different ways.

Learning about the history of art and philosophy in class allows you to receive only an idea of what the masterpieces are like over here. Seeing works of art like the Sistine Chapel ceiling and the David were such an awesome experience. The pictures of these simply do not grasp the beauty of these pieces. I have a whole new level of appreciation for artists. It has been such a cool feeling to think that I have been in the same building as Michelangelo.

Besides the amazing history that lies within Italy that has allowed me to grow as a person, so has the culture. Being in a foreign country is a completely different experience than traveling around the United States. I have experienced trying to communicate with people who have no idea what I am saying to them, and to also try and understand what they are saying to me. Being in Italy has made me reflect even more on my life. I have experienced parts of a different culture that I do and do not like, which has allowed me to realize what I want more of in my life and what I also appreciate in my life. The beauty of Italy has helped me to grow in my faith even more. I am so thankful for having this experience, and even more thankful to have been lucky enough to experience it with such a wonderful group of people. I have made more friends than I had before, and have grown in relationships that I already had formed.

Thank you so much to Dr. Mills and Dr. Johnson for setting up this trip, and traveling around Italy with the class. Your guidance and friendships have been so awesome!
Thank you also to my family and boyfriend for the support and help, so I was able to come! :)

I am so excited to go home and share all of my pictures and stories with people....and to plan my next trip back!!! :)

Ciao Italy, see you soon!!

Kailee

Peace Out.

2010-12-12T11:36:00.002-05:00

I could start with a cliché like "all good things must come to an end." Or something banal like "veni vidi vici." However, it's not true that all good things must end (truthfully, as far as we know all things end, not just good things but maybe I'm equivocating on 'end'). And its not necessary for this to end. We could choose to stay here and never return. And as far as I know, we came, we saw, but conqueror is an overstatement. Simply, we came, we saw, and we grew.

Italy was the experience of a lifetime. A facebook message from my grandfather (yes, he's on facebook) told me to enjoy my time here. He spent time here while serving in the US Navy, and he said one never knows when he/she might see this side of the world again. He was sure that he wouldn't have another opportunity. This made me realize my fortunate nature, and the blessings my family and education have bestowed upon me. Traveling abroad has become commonplace in many institutions, and it's widely encouraged. However, many friends and peers of mine do not have the means to pursue such options. And those that do don't necessarily recognize the value within an experience as such. In all, I must thank Dr. Mills and Dr. Johnson for encouraging us in this adventure and giving us the opportunity to grow personally and intellectually.

So it is that we depart in about 18 hours. Perhaps we leave with some positive anticipation to return to our normal lives, jobs, and loved ones. But there are small frowns within each of us. We've bonded to form new friendships, created memories, and grown to love a culture other than our own. But it's not that we come home completely. In some unconscious state we will always be here (no it's not that I'm pushing a conception of time like the Tralfamadorians from 'Slaughterhouse-Five'). Some might be here through photographs, others through stories, and some through language. We can't leave something like this behind. Soon we are headed out for dinner together. Our own "Last Supper." Corny, I know, but I had to say it.

Its been amazing, but now it closes. We'll be home soon.

Ciao, Italia.

-Jimmy

Goodbye Italy

2010-12-12T11:34:00.000-05:00

I can't find an appropriate word to describe today. Odd.. Maybe? It started out with all of us lugging our suitcases all over Venice to get on the vaperato, then a four hour train ride, and more exercise while we drug our bags to our hotel in Rome. First of all I was a bit proud of myself for navigating the city fairly well. I was oriented and haven't needed the map... Yet :). After lunch we went to a crypt which was very.... Interesting. Pretty much it was just bones arranged to decorate several rooms. Some of the skeletons were full bodies, but a lot of them were just skulls or clavicles or scapulae that ornamented the walls. Even the chandeliers were made from bones!!

I also find it hard to describe my day because it's our last day in Italy. Yes, I am ready to be done living out of a suitcase but am I ready to leave? Not in the least. Being here has intrigued and challenged me in so many ways. It's hard to explain. This has been the opportunity of a lifetime, and I thouroughly enjoyed it. Learning about art history and philosophy is one thing in a classroom, but seeing and experiencing them firsthand is incredible. I could have studied the Sistine chapel for a week in itself, but we have gone, done, and seen so much more.

Inevitably I will be asked what my favorite part of the trip was, and honestly I can't say. Yes, it sounds cliche but each experience has had a different effect on me, all of which I value. The beauty of Assisi brought me serenity and a new appreciation for life, the hustle and bustle of Rome brought me to consider all the unique lifestyles people have, and Florence brought me a sense of home because we were there for the majority of our time here.

I'm excited to come home, see my family, and decorate Christmas cookies, but I'm sad to leave Italy. However, I've had an amazing time and I am lucky to take away new memories and all in all, a new me.

Our Last Day in Italy

2010-12-12T11:27:00.003-05:00

We arrived this morning in Rome coming off of a 4 hour train ride from Venice. Venice was beautiful and it was so neat not to see any cars and just to see people getting around either on foot or boat. We had really great weather this weekend, the best that we have had all trip. I really enjoyed going to the Jewish Ghetto, I did not know anything about it before going and it was so interesting to see 3 of their synagogues and learn about the first ever ghetto. It was neat to see the hand made glass in all the different stores, it was all so unique. We went to a contemporary art exhibit and also the Guggenheim art museum, which is a modern art exhibit. I have never been to either kind of art exhibit and it was neat to be able to compare a different style to all the ancient and Renaissance art that we have been viewing the past couple of weeks.

For me these past 2 weeks haves been incredible!! I have so many great memories from the trip and I have really enjoyed being able to share so many great experiences with everyone in the class. This is the first time I have traveled overseas and I feel like I have learned so much about myself. It has been amazing to be surrounded by so many people who have such a different lifestyle and culture than what we are used to, and adjusting to being surrounded by so many people who speak a different language than us. I feel like we have all picked up a few words while we have been here, and even with the language barrier we have been able to make it through. It is also neat because even when you can not speak to someone you can always smile and sometimes that is just as good.

We have a long day of traveling tomorrow and even though I am going to miss being in Italy, I am also really excited to be home for Christmas and see my family.

Last Night in Italy

2010-12-12T10:54:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone,
So we arrived back in Rome this afternoon by train from Venice. The train ride back wasnt bad, it was just interesting watching our line of students pulling our luggage from the train station to our hotel. But the trip to Italy has been great, for me its been my first time traveling overseas and to a country that speaks a different language.
Venice was great, the first day we arrived the water level was higher than normal so we got to experience walking on the planks because the ground in some areas had about a half of foot of water at least. One thing in particular I noticed about Venice was there are no cars, people either walk or take the water taxi. Both days it was a little cold but the sun was out so I couldn't complain.
I am looking forward to heading home and cutting back on the number of carbs I have ate in the past two weeks :) But to also get to see my family and to start feeling like its Christmas.
Tonight the whole group is going out to dinner to end our Italy trip on a good note, then its back to try to make everything fit in my suitcase :) Tomorrow we are looking at a 10 hour flight back to the U.S, stopping in Philadelphia to go through customs, and finally home to Columbus! -Ciao

Update from Lisa

2010-12-12T09:59:00.002-05:00

Hey,
We arrived in Rome and tomorrow we head home, which I am very excited for because even though Italy is beautiful I am ready to see my family. I cant wait to show everyone all my pictures. So I will try to remember everything we have done since my last update.

Tuesday- We tried to go to the museums, but the workers at the museums went on strike and all the museums were closed. Instead, we climbed to San Miniato church and it was a beautiful view. The church was gorgeous inside. This has nothing to do with my trip, but that night I did learn how to play a new card game so mom will be happy about that.

Wednesday- We went to the Uffizi Gallery and there I saw a lot of pieces of artwork that we talked about in class. For example, Madonna with the Long Neck, Primavera, Judith Slaying Holofernes, and The Birth of Venus. Then we went to the Academia and saw The David and it was amazing. It stands 16 or 17 ft tall and there is so much detail it is incredible.

Thursday- That day we arrived in Venice and it was raining at first, but it cleared up and it was beautiful. The next two days there were clear skies and sunny. I think that Venice was one of the most beautiful places we have seen. We went to a couple museums while we were in Venice. It was a fun trip there.

While we were there we went to the Jewish Ghetto and traveled to Padova and went to Saint Anthony and the Scrovegni Chapel.

Then of course we arrived in Rome today and I go home tomorrow:)
Cant wait to tell everyone all about my trip.

Love, Lisa

Venice :)

2010-12-11T16:20:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is our last night in Italy and it's an odd feeling. Although we've only been here for less than two weeks it seems like so long ago that I was walking around the remains of ancient Rome. Overall, it has truely been a life changing and memorable experience. People told me that I would return with a new perspective, and now I understand. Being in italy not only allowed me to visit many historically important sites, it also showed me a lot about myself. Part of our journal assignments are to write about ourselves and the things we've learned on a deeper level and I canhonestly say that this has been an extremely valuable experience for me.

Yesterday we had the opportunity to visit the jewish ghetto and the guggenheim museum. I thought the synagouges were particularly intriguing because I knew so little about the Jewish faith. I can not imagine being segragated from my community based on the way that I act or the things that I believe. Being locked into my neighborhood At night would be hard to deal with I would imagine. The guggenheim museum was my favorite part of yesterday. Seeing works by pablo Picasso was so interesting, I absolutely loved it.

I'll talk to you from Rome!! Ciao!!!

Leaving Venice

2010-12-11T15:44:00.002-05:00

Our internet has been expensive here in Venice, which is why there haven't been a lot of posts (we had free and ample internet in Florence). We leave tomorrow morning for Rome, and, I think, we have enjoyed it here. The food is always a bit problematic--more expensive than we want, and not as good--but the group discovered falafel (at a little kebab shop, and then later at Gam Gam, a fantastic restaurant in the Jewish Ghetto), and I think one take away from this trip will be the fact that many of our group are now falafel (and maybe hummus?) fans.

We've kept busy in Venice. We visited San Marco, the Accademia, Verrochio's statue of Colleoni, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, the Jewish Ghetto (the very first ghetto in the world--indeed, the word "ghetto" derives from the Jewish ghetto that was founded here in the early 16th Century), then a day-trip to Padua today to see the Scrovegni Chapel, the "Bo"--the original building of the University of Padua where Gallileo and Copernicus taught--and Saint Anthony's Basilica. And we still managed to find gobs of time to shop, so I think friends and family of our travelers can expect to get some nice Italian gifts. That is, if we can fit them all on the plane!

Tomorrow, we return on an early train to Rome, and then have time to see some more sights before returning to Ohio on Monday. We hope to update more from Rome, where the internet is, again, free!

Ciao a tutti!

Venice :)

2010-12-09T16:14:00.002-05:00

We arrived in Venice today and it is unlike Anywhere that I've ever been before. It's true, there's water everywhere! The locals function as in every other city; instead of hopping on the city bus, they just ride the city water bus into work. Their lifestyle is so interesting. Carrying, actually dragging our luggage to our hotel was quite a site to see, but we mAde it. It's a weird feeling to not see any cars around, and to see the wooden planks they put up for when it floods or the tide comes in.

The contemporary museum we visited tOday was really interesting. The exhibits were completely different from the mostly religious affiliated works we've been seen thus far.

Yesterday we finally got to see the David. Let me just say, his feet were probably as big as I am. I was shocked at the size of this sculpture and the talent it took to create this sculpture. I'm really glad the strike took a break!!

I think that's all for now other than to say if you ever come to Venice, bring a map! :)

From Courtney! The city of water :)

2010-12-09T14:35:00.000-05:00

We are in Venice, and it is beautiful. For my family at home you will understand when i say its like an upscale lake erie, but with even more water and a lot more shopping lol. There literally is water everywhere, we even had to walk on some wooden blanks to get around to certain places in the city because the tide was high so there was a few inches of water! Its soo pretty though i dont think that i will get annoyed with the water because its just too beautiful! There is Gondolas with the guys with the fun hats and striped shirts singing to the passengers of the ride and it looks so romantic, wish i had that special someone here with me :) But i am really excited to be in a new place and the hotel is amazing here as well. There is carpet and real showers! Cant wait to see what these last few days in Italy has in store :)

Venice!

2010-12-09T13:10:00.002-05:00

We are on the home stretch. Today we arrived in Venice; our last stop before returning to Rome. To our surprise, there was no rain and a bit of sun. Unfortunately though, the Italian air showed no mercy and breathed chilling air on our necks as we ventured the narrow streets.

Venice is a unique city in that it's built on water, more or less. To navigate the city the options are by foot or by boat. Every corner there seems to be a canal, and it takes just a morning of rain to flood the streets. This brings out the walking planks, allowing residents and tourists to move about. The best option though, rain boats. Never had I thought I'd be jealous of the silly rain boat fad that's struck women across the world. However, for the next three days I fear I might. Let's not mistake my want, though. It's the envy of dry, warm feet that drives my desire, not the fashion statement.

We saw the church of San Marco today, and a modern art exhibit as well. The rest of our day consisted of learning the ropes of the city and finding our way about. Not the most stimulating day intellectually, but it was great to see what Venice is like and get a feel for the area. Well that's all for now. Take care, all!

Jimmy

We're in Venice

2010-12-09T11:44:00.003-05:00

We don't have as frequent and easy internet access here in Venice, so this will be a brief note to let our readers know that we arrived safe and sound to Venice. There was the remnant of some high tide as we walked around after lunch, but the waters receded and we had a pleasant stroll around the city. Tomorrow, the Ca' Do'ro, the Jewish Ghetto, and maybe the Accademia. Saturday, Padua for the Scrovegni Chapel, San Antonio and the Bo, the University of Padua. Maybe even a Vivaldi concert on Saturday night--who knows!

Ciao from La Serrenissima--the Most Serene one--as Venice is known.

Last Night in Florence

2010-12-08T18:19:00.004-05:00

So tomorrow morning we will be heading to Venice and leaving Florence. Florence has been great, its nice to have stayed in a city for a longer time to get a chance to get familiar with the city. Overall its been rainy but not freezing cold, like we hear it is in Ohio. Today we went to see the David, which I had no clue how much detail would be in the model, you just dont see things like that today. We also were given time to go to any optional museums and a small group decided to go to a photography exhibit which was really neat. It had a range of photographers ranging in different subjects and topics. It was a different change of pace. Tomorrow we wake up bright and early to catch a train...with all our luggage so that should be fun :) So until Venice.....ciao!

Last night in Florence

2010-12-08T17:13:00.003-05:00

Today was a rainy day in Florence, but the museums that we visited were really interesting. We visited the Uffizi and the Academia, which housed 100s of paintings and scuptures. Seeing the David in person was probably my favorite part. The detail that you can see on the sculpture is amazing. It was awesome to have the opportunity to experience this piece of work in person.
Tonight is our last night in Florence, and it ended great. Most of us in the group went out to dinner together at an awesome restaurant. The food was delicious and the service was great. After this a few of us went to get some gelato at Dr. MIlls' favorte place! While walking back we stopped to listen to music being played by a great musician that was sitting outside of the Uffizi...it really was a wonderful way to end the week here!
Tomorrow we will be heading to Venice! I heard it is cold and rainy there, but I am hoping for better weather!! I will update once I make it there.

Kailee :)

The end to Florence

2010-12-08T14:18:00.002-05:00

Today marks the end of our last day in Florence. I'm kind of upset because I have enjoyed our stay here (especially due to the amazing hotel staff and the leather market didn't hurt either). Today was one of my favorite days yet. It was really cool to visit the Uffizi and be able to see some of the most famous works of art that we have studied all year in person. The Birth of Venus and the The Primavera by Botticelli were by far my favorite, and were much larger in person than I expected. It was interesting to be able to see the actual brush strokes and detail even in the grass of the paintings. You can not see those same details when looking at it on a powerpoint in class.
My favorite part of the day, and what I've been waiting the whole stay in Florence to see, was Michelangelo's DAVID!! Kat has seen him and told me I would not be disappointed with him in person, and boy was she right. He was one amazing specimen :) I could have sat there and stared at him all day. Once again, in class we discussed he was really tall, but I was just amazed at how tall he really was. I was just in awe and stared at him for most of the time that we were at the Accedemia. Seeing him in person was a completely difference experience. You could see all of the detail that Michelangelo put into sculpting him. His veins were visible in his arms and hands, you could see his achilles tendon, his ribs and sternum were sculpted, and his muscle definition was unbelievable. It was really cool to be able to see his back side (not for the reason you're thinking), but to be able to see his strap from his sling shot. I never really noticed that from the powerpoint in class. As Dr. Mills pointed out, it was also nice to be able to see the unfinished slaves in the room to see how rough marble sculpting really is, and helped me appreciate Michelangelo's effort in creating David.
In defense for the poor souls who ate Ben & Jerry's today, it was gelato, not ice cream. It was much smoother and creamier (or so I've been told). I also heard it was pretty tasty ;)

Last day in Florence

2010-12-08T14:00:00.002-05:00

Florence has been an amazing experience. The weather was cold and rainy at first but has been warming up. I will take the rain over the snow back home.
Today we were in the Ufizi museum and I saw The Birth of Venus. I have seen a million posters of this, but none of them can compare to the real thing. There are so many elements of the painting that you don't notice until you are up close. We also saw David today. These two pieces of artwork are what I have been waiting for. The churches we have gone in and various museums have had gorgeous pieces of artwork, however these two are by far my favorites. They make someone like me, that knows nothing about art, admire the skill it takes to make something like that.
Erin and I went to Perugia on Saturday. The town is on a mountain and has an absolutely gorgeous view! When we first arrived we couldn't find a map and were rather disappointed. We didn't see anything other than a street with a few shops. We finally found a map and made our way to Piazza Novembre. On our way we stumbled across a market with many handmade jewelry and crafts. I definitely made a few purchases. The day turned out to be worth the 2 hour train ride and I learned a lot about myself. We made it there and back using public transportation in a country that we could not speak their language. The experience showed me how independent I am. It doesn't hurt that I got some amazing pictures and bought some gorgeous earrings.
Oh, by the way, I had some amazing GELATO today!

Ciao!
Ashley

Ciao Firenze!

2010-12-08T13:25:00.003-05:00

Well today is our last day in Florence, and it is bitter sweet. The city is absolutely gorgeous, I think I would live a very happy life if I could look at the Duomo every day. It is the most beautiful architecture I have ever seen! A lot has happened since my last post; I survived a day trip to Arrezo with Kat where we wandered around the gorgeous city which was filled with booths selling antiques. I saw my favorite works of all time: Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Primavera, I got to see Parmigianino's creepy Madonna and Child as well as Fra Filippo Lippi's serene one, and the wonderful Venus of Urbino all in the Uffizi Gallery and of course Michelangelo's DAVID in all of his glory in the Accademia Gallery. I look forward to dinner every night, it is always an adventure! My future husband, Elton, the front desk host at the Belletini Hotel recommended a restaurant to us that we have visited twice already, the most delicious pizza I have ever tasted in my life! And I don't think I have missed out on gelato a single day of the trip! We have hit up every gelato store in Florence (even Ben and Jerry's, we don't discriminate!!! Har har...) We have had a lot of fun at the leather and Christmas markets and we visited a meat market with some very interesting sights....? The weather has been mostly rainy but occasionally we get lucky and have nice weather for a few minutes. Last night we reveled in the warmth and dryness and wandered around the Ponte Vecchio for a while, taking some amazing pictures. I am looking forward to scrap booking! Tonight after dinner we stumbled across a tree lighting ceremony in the Piazza of the Duomo! There was a marching band with some feather-clad men throwing flags around, then they turned the lights on on the giant tree. I feel truly lucky to have witnessed it. The hotel here is so great, I hate to leave it! We have made several friends from all over the world during our night time hang-outs in the lobby. I am thrilled to move on to Venice, but it symbolizes our trip coming to an end. I am looking forward to meeting up with my Italian "brother" when we are in Venice. He was an exchange student living with my family for a year a few years ago and I haven't seen him since. Ciao for now, see you in Venezia!

Our last day in Florence

2010-12-08T12:52:00.002-05:00

Today the strike ended and the museums were open again. We started out at the Uffizi, and got to see a lot of the great paintings that we have been talking about in class all quarter. It is so much greater to see the original works of art in person rather than just a replication or a picture. I really enjoyed seeing the 3 paintings by Leonardo, it was the first time I've seen an original work of art by him and it was an awesome feeling, it is hard to describe. This afternoon we went to the Accademia to see The David. It was amazing and so realistic and perfect. I think Andrea and I just stared up at it for about 10 minutes straight. After that Kailee, Melissa, Andrea and I went to the Palazzo Strozzi to see the Bronzino exhibit. I really liked one of the paintings called the Holy Family with St. John the Babtist. It is usually in the Uffizi, but they moved it to be in the Bronzino exhibit, and I'm really glad we were able to see it. We also went to a comtemporay photography exhibit at the Palazzo Strozzi, and that was really neat to see too. The way some people are able to catch certain moments and feelings in a photograph is amazing. Tomorrow we're leaving bright and early to catch a train to Venice. I'm excited to see the canals and see what Venice is like. Hopefully we don't have too much trouble pulling our luggage all the way to the train station. I think I might have packed too much! Ciao!

Arrivederci a Firenze!

2010-12-08T12:19:00.002-05:00

Our last day in Florence has been a full one. We started out at the Uffizi, took a break for lunch, and then visited David in the Accademia. Then some of us went to the Archaeological Museum to visit some fantastic Greek, Roman, and (especially) Etruscan antiquities, while others went to see the Bronzino exhibit at the Palazzo Strozzi.

The day was somewhat marred by the fact that three students (who shall, so that their crime shall not be attributed to them) purchased ice cream from a Ben and Jerry's store right in front of the Duomo. Now, there's nothing wrong with Ben and Jerry's--I'm a fan of Stephen Colbert's Americone Dream, myself--but when one is in Italy, one should not eat at Ben and Jerry's. One should only eat gelato. I will take suggestions here for appropriate punishment for this horrible infraction.

We depart early tomorrow morning for Venice, where the weather (according to the forecast) will be clear but cold. We have enjoyed beyond words our stay at the Hotel Bellettini. For anyone looking for a clean, comfortable, friendly, affordable, well-located hotel in Florence, you could do a whole lot worse than the Hotel Bellettini. A big shout out to Elton whose hospitality knows no limits, and to all the other friendly staff here who have let us take over their lobby, and who have plied us with free hot chocolate and fantastic restaurant recommendations. Here's hoping that our hotel in Venice is as hospitable as the Hotel Bellettini!

A dopo.....

Day of Climbing

2010-12-07T16:16:00.003-05:00

There has been a strike the past few days in the Florence Museums. So, today we explored a few churches, which included San Miniato al Monte. And as the name suggests, it is on top of a mountain so we had a lovely morning of climbing. After that we grabbed some lunch and since everything was closed, we had the afternoon free. Everybody in the group explored some more of Florence. I decided that with the free time I wanted to do something I might not get a chance to do again. So, I hoped on a train and took the hour ride to Pisa. I realized upon getting off the train that people are right when they say the only interesting thing to see in Pisa is the Tower. So, I made my way through the city and saw the amazing sight of the Leaning Tower. I spent about two hours in Pisa and during this time I climbed the tower. The view from the top is AMAZING!!!! It was a little frightening because you can tell that it is tilted when you're on top of it. So, that was my day of climbing and now I am sore.

Ciao-

Jeff

San Gimignano

2010-12-06T16:16:00.002-05:00

What a beautiful place. It reminded me of Assisi because it was such a small town. I think that this town is family oriented because you saw children with their parents everywhere you turned. San Gimignano was set in a medieval setting. There were castles and old stone buildings.

Besides the freezing weather and the little driblets of rain the scenery was amazing.There were small side streets that led to even more scenery and small houses and shops.

Jimmy and I started out at 9:15 to catch the train. We were on the train for 50 mins and we finally arrived there a hour later. While we were on the train we saw a lot of vineyards and they were all in a perfect straight line. We started out at the church of San Agostino because we made a wrong turn when we first started, where we saw frescos and paintings. After that we went to the Collegiata, and saw more frescos cycles, featuring Old Testament and New Testament stories. In the New testament we saw alot of depictions of angels and demons than we have before within
the frescos in Florence and Rome.

Next stop Venice :) Super excited for that
Ciao for now
Jazmyne

Siena

2010-12-06T15:15:00.002-05:00

On Saturday, one of our free days, Courtney, Jeff, and I all went to Siena for the day. We took a bus there and it took about an hour and a half to get there. While we were there we saw a lot of really cool things! We went in the Duomo which was a gothic church that had really cool green and white stripes inside. There were carved marble bible stories on the floor and one was by Donatello. We went in a crypt that was under the Duomo and it had brick walls with some partial frescos on them. We then went across the road to the Santa Maria Della Scalla. It had a really scary underground chapel and some more underground brick rooms. We also went to the baptistry that had some bronze sculptures by Donatello. After this we went in a museum and saw Duccio's Maesta that Jeff did his project on. The last thing we did was see the Campo where the Palio is run each year. We were really cold by this point so we all got on the bus and headed back to Florence. It was a really good day!!!!!! :)

Update from Lisa

2010-12-06T08:04:00.002-05:00

Today we went to the Piazza Santissima Annunziata where we saw the Statue of Grand Duke Ferdinando I, The Spedale degli Innocenti, and the Santissima Annunziata Basilica. There was a story about the statue and it was about Ferdinando seeing a beautiful woman in the second window and they fell in love, but they both were to marry someone else. Well he wanted the statue built with the man's head looking a that same window.The Spedale degli Innocenti first European Orphanage was the first European orphanage where women would drop their babies off there with a tag on them so in the future if the women wanted to find their baby they could by the tag. We tried to go into the basilica twice, but there was a mass going on and we could not. We went to the Palazzo Medici today as well and it was interesting because we got to see a bed room that was still in the same place it was when people lived in it.

Dr. Johnson, Kat, and I went to the San Marco Church today after the Palazzo Medici. There I lit a candle for my Grandpap John because today was the ceremony and since I could not be with my family during the acctual ceremony, I had my own ceremony and prayed. I got pictures of the church and Kat got really good ones of me while I was lighting the candle. It was really emotional, but I am glad I did go to the church.

Lisa

From Courtney: A few observations

2010-12-05T15:29:00.000-05:00

I have been making note of some of the differences between the U.S. and Italy and I thought i would share how they do some things in Italy with those of you at home...
1. No shower curtains\doors with the showers and bathtubs or there is a curtain but you just shower on the floor of the bathroom
2. They use Military time
3. They meausure temperature in Celcius
4. There is pizza and Gelato (ice cream) on EVERY corner
5. lunch is around 1-2pm and dinner is around 8-9pm
6. you leave your hotel key with the front desk anytime you leave they hotel
7. most restaurants you do NOT tip at, there is a service charge added to your bill autoimatically
8. water is NOT free at restaurants, sometimes wine is cheaper than water lol
9. you can not wear your pj's or sweats to the hotel breakfast, you must be dressed nicely
10. public restrooms cost anywhere from 10-50 euros

Days off to explore!

2010-12-05T14:44:00.002-05:00

The last two days we have been able to travel to a city we wanted and view or do pretty much whatever we stumbled upon. Yesterday, Ashley Wilson and I traveled to Perugia. As soon as we got off the train at the station, we immediately questioned why we chose this city. We were thinking we were crazy! Luckily, my mom's friend's son traveled abroad at the college in Perugia and he told me where to head to. Like many of the groups discovered, no one spoke English, and the information desk didn't even have a map! We managed to finda store to buy a map and we trucked uphill for two whole hours (no exagerration)! We thought we'd finally get a day to rest our legs, but boy were we wrong. We stumbled upon many helpful people that helped us follow the map. The last man pointed us to an escaltor to help us get up the hills of Perugia faster. As soon as we got off of the fourth or so escalator, we thought we had arrived in heaven! There were probably about fifty or more stands selling handmade jewelry and all sorts of crafts, in this gorgeous underground brick and stone cave-like area. We shopped for a long time and bought quite a few things. Finally we ended up in Piazza Novembre where the boy had told me to go. It was absolutely gorgeous as well. The sights were similar to those of Assisi, overlooking the beautiful hills. Once again, there was tons of shopping! We also stumbled across the Fontana Maggiore, which is considered to be one of the most beautful fountains of the 13th century. We also went into the Museum of S. Lorenzo. It was very interesting and you could go underground yet again and explore under all of the stone architecture. Even though we did get quite lost at the very beginning, it was totally worth it and we knew exactly why we picked that city in the end! After taking the bus back to the train station (we decided not to walk for two hours again) and hopping on the train, everyone was happy to see we made it back in one piece! They thought we wouldn't survive on our own!
Today was a very relaxing day. For once we got to sleep in. Afterwards, we had a failed attempt at finding a Harley Davidson store. We did find it, but of course it was closed since it was Sunday, and it was not in the best area ever to say the least :x We then shopped some more and had a nice dinner! I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings :)

Arezzo

2010-12-05T11:00:00.002-05:00

Ok so this is the second attempt at doing this because blogger did not save my entire post only 1 sentence that I typed up so sorry but this is going to be shorter than it originally was....Yesterday K-Folg (aka Kelley Folger) and I traveled to Arezzo. Every weekend they have an antiques market that takes up a good portion of the streets and of the piazzas. We walked through the market and had a nice meandering day looking at antiques and historic sites. The first historic site we came upon was the Pieve di Santa Maria which has around 100 columns on the outside each one with a different design. We also got to see the Basilica of San Francesco, The Cathedral of Arezzo, The Plazzo Pretorio, Petrarch's house, and the Plazzo dei Priori which is now the town hall. The antiques market was also in the historic Piazza Grande and the area of the Plazzo delle Logge. We also happened upon the Passeggio del Prato a beautifl monument in a gorgeous park. The park also had a breathtaking view. We were pretty lucky and had a mostly sunny day until the end when it started to sprinkle and became quite cold. It was a great day and I would love to be able to do it again.

Bologna Trip

2010-12-05T06:08:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, as part of an assignment for the class, we were divided into small groups (2 or 3) and asked to explore a new city within an few hours outside of Florence. The goal was to see how well we could interact with the locals and discover a new place. Lisa and I were paried up and chose to go to Bologna.

We took the train there, which I found was a lot easier than I expected. Once out of the train station we got a bit lost. Instead of heading into the city we headed out of it and had to stop into a small shop to get a map and ask for directions. Once we found our way we took a hike over to the University of Bologna. The univertisty was very different from Otterbein but can be compared to almost and NYU or CSU where a large campus is integrated into part of the city. The buildings of the university were scatered among a section of Bologna and all around were shops, offices and restaurants. One thing we found that I was impressed with was a whole side of a building covered with posters for school functions, apartments for rent, and job listings. I found this interesting since we usually post things on bulletin boards outside our small campus, but they used a side of a building and even graffiti was incorperated.

After visiting the university the rest of the trip was spend exploring the city's plazas. The city has its own unquie charm about it but overall I did not find it anything special and perfer Florence over it.

Lisa- Trip to Bologna

2010-12-05T05:14:00.002-05:00

Salve,

Well on Friday we got walk through Florence and it is a beautiful place. We went to the Medici Chapel, which was very interesting because after reading about the family in class and through my research about Machiavelli we finally got to see where the family is burried. Also, I got to see where Machiavelli's office was in the Palazzo di Vecchio and that was a great experience. I did my research project about him and his philosophy about politics.We went to see the Basilica di Santa Maria Novella and that was amazing because of all the artworks and the inside of the building. I did some shopping while I have been here and there is a veyr big leather market in Florence that sells some very nice leather items for good prices.

Yesturday Kayleigh and I went to Bologna on our own and that was a fun trip. We first got lost because we started walking in the opposite direction of Bologna, but stopped for directions and found our way. We went to see the University of Bologna, but there was not very many people out because we wanted to get some information about how their university works. We did find a main road that had tons of shopping and food places. The food was very very good and the stores where nice. We saw a statue of Neptune in the Piazza Maggore and a Garibaldi statue. I will be able to show you all the pictures so you know what I am talking about.

I hope everyone is alright and I miss everyone.Love every single one of you!

Lisa

Hello from florence!!

2010-12-04T18:18:00.002-05:00

So much has happened since my last blog. First off, Assisi was amazing, so far it is my most favorite place. It was beautiful there and we were very lucky to have a sunny day. Florence has been awesome as well. I really like the feel of the city here...its not as busy and easier to get around in.
Today we went to Cortona for our group day trip. Andrea, Olivia, Melissa, and I all went together. Cortona reminded me of Assisi because it was a smaller hilltop town, which we found out was actually right near Assisi. The view here was beautiful and I loved walking around the small little streets. This trip was even more interesting because not as many people spoke english so it was a little more challenging, but it went really well. A lot of the shops were closed during certain parts of the day, but one shop that we found open was a hand crafted ceramic shop. The pieces that we saw were beautiful, and the woman working in the shop was very nice and told us all about the process of making the pieces. All in all today was a wonderful experience and I really enjoyed being able to go off on our own.
I am looking forward to tomorrow becauase we may be taking another day trip to a different city.

that's all for now.

Ciao!
Kailee

P.s. and hello to my family and Logan...I miss you guys and love you!!! i hope you are enjoying the lovely weather in ohio!! :)

Cortona!

2010-12-04T14:56:00.002-05:00

Today Kailee, Andrea, Melissa and I made it to and from Cortona just the 4 of us, and it was definitly an experience because mostly everyone we encountered today spoke little English. First of all at the train station the board didnt have our stop listed so we had to ask different people for help and a man in the international help office ended up writing down the terminal and train number. It was funny because even though we got there 20 minutes early we still had to run to catch our train. Then when we got there we had to get tickets for the way back and a taxi driver helped us figure out the machine. He barely spoke english either but I dont know what we would have done if he did not help us. Then the taxi driver drove us the rest of the way to Cortona because it is a little town on the top of a hill, and he was so nice and explained things about the city and where things were, and was really patient repeating himself in mostlyIitalian and a little english so we would understand. It was amazing how well he communicated with us and we barely spoke the same language. The city was beautiful!! It was freezing but thankfully it didnt rain. We went into one museum bc andreas painting that she chose for a project was there and then we just walked around the rest of the time. It was such a great experience and neat feeling just walking around the city own our own. I also really enjoyed communicating with the locals by mostly hand gestures and very little language. It was a great day and one I will never forget!!

A cold and rainy and, did I mention, cold day.

2010-12-04T14:23:00.002-05:00

Many of the students have been keeping you updated about our doings, kind blog readers, so there's little for me to say but to confirm that we've been having a fantastic (and busy!) time. Today was the first free day and we scattered to the four winds. People went to Bologna, Siena, Cortona, San Gimignano, Arezzo, and Perugia. Everyone encountered cold today, but some had some sun. They all had adventures, and I'll let them tell you about them in more detail. Amy and I went to Bologna, and despite the cold there, enjoyed a few hours in the city. It was crowded with Christmas shoppers, for the most part, but we visited the medieval museum, the Archiginnasio (site of the original university) and Duomo.

Tomorrow there is interest in going off to Pisa, and if the weather turns a bit warmer, maybe we shall venture up to Fiesole--a hill town just outside of Florence--that promises fantastic views of the surrounding countryside.

Check out my pictures, linked on the top of the left column of the blog. These are just mine--somehow I'll figure out how to get some of the students' pictures up here as well.

Ciao!

A Day in Cortona

2010-12-04T14:00:00.002-05:00

Today Kailee,Olivia, Melissa, and I survived our first day trip by ourselves to Cortona. Started the day off almost missing our train because when we arrived to the station we quickly realized our train had changed. Once we found out the change we quickly had to hurry to make it to our train which was just about to depart. Cortona is beautiful to say the least, its a small town high up on a Tuscany hill with an amazing view. Noone really spoke any english but I really enjoyed that part of it. We realized just how friendly and helpful the people of Cortona were. Although we didnt speak the same language they tried and so did we. For example we were catching the bus to head back to catch the train and we had no clue what time to expect the bus, which we had been waiting for a bit. We noticed a woman waiting for the bus and Kailee went over to her and asked her if she knew what time the bus came. The woman spoke no english and started to walk away, but then the woman stoped waved us over and pointed out the time for us on this sign. It was like this throughout the day from a taxi ride by an older man who again spoke little english but he helped us get our train tickets to come back later in the day, showed us where we needed to come to catch the train, and as we rode up to Cortona would stop and point out all the sites on our way up to the town. It truely has amazed me how welcoming and friendly the people of Cortona were today to us.

Cortona was also the town which had the piece of artwork in which I took a look at and wrote a paper during this past quarter. The piece was Fra Angelico's first annunciation he created. Getting to actually see the piece in person was a completly new experience, here I had been researching the painting and the artist and now it was here infront of me. Pictures on the internet do not even come close to what I actually saw today.

I feel very blessed to have experience today with 3 amazing people :)
Ciao! and hello to my family back home!

News from cortona :)

2010-12-04T13:38:00.002-05:00

Today was our day trip to cortona. Andrea, Olivia, Kailee and i survived! The day started a little crazy because we got confused at the train station. Somehow we were supposed to know to look at the train headed for Rome? Thank goodness for non verbal communication! I hope it makes all of you laugh to know that we sprinted to get on our train within seconds of it's departure. Once we got to our final destination we looked for the bus to take us up the mountain to cortona, but an Italian taxi driver intercepted us. Don't worry, he was exteremely helpful!! He helped us get our return tickets and then gave us a short tour of cortona. He didn't speak any english, but he was really good at signaling and repeating words so that we all understood.

It was an amazing feeling to have the freedom to roam the city and figure everything out on our own. Cortona has a market on Saturdays that sold everything imaginable from fruits to sweaters. Once the market closed for the day everything in the city seemed to shut down. I even walked into a restaurant without realizing they weren't open :). The city and the views were gorgeous!!! Although we were practically mountain climbing all day long because the streets were so steep, I loved the atmosphere and the opportunity for adventures. We went shopping, ate lunch, and roamed around to take pictures. Did I mention it was beautiful?

Overall, I really enjoyed being able to tackle the obstacles we encountered today. Even though there is a language barrier, everyone thus far has been more than willing to help us. The culture here is so much different and I love it!!! Talk to you soon! Ciao!

Day in Siena

2010-12-04T12:57:00.003-05:00

So far I have been to Rome, Assisi, and Florence on this trip, today I added the hill-town of Siena to the list. Courtney, Anna, and I hoped on a bus and travelled about one and a half hours south of Florence to this town with some amazing views. We spent a fair chunk of our time there exploring the Cathedral and the Museum beside it. We also went to another museum which features an underground church, which was both cool and slightly terrifying. After that we went and explored the city and stopped at the main Piazza where a huge horse race is held every year. After getting our gelatto, we decided the weather was too much to bear any longer and returned to the comfort of our Florentine hotel. I can't wait to get to explore more of Italy tomorrow on my second free day.

Ciao!!

A Day In San Gimignano

2010-12-04T11:50:00.002-05:00

About an hour from Florence, set in the Tuscan hills, among the grapes and olives, lies San Gimignano. Immediately I was reminded of Assisi, not only because of the view, but also because of the friendly atmosphere and brisk winds. It was raining when we arrived, Jazymne and I that is. We survived the rain. It was piercing to say the least, as the temperature struggled to hover above freezing. We made a wrong turn from the beginning, but that was no problem. It took less than 15 minutes to get from one end of the city to the other, so we started at the back and worked our way forward. We started at San Agostino, where we saw beautiful frescos and many fine paintings. We then ventured to the Collegiata, and saw more frescos cycles, featuring Old Testament stories, New Testament stories, and a vivid depiction of the seven deadly sins.

Aside from the art, the city was surrounded by medieval walls. Houses and apartments were set in the medieval structures, and shops and cafes were in plenty. Mothers could be seen with their children, and everyday life was happening all around. There were no problems getting to or from the city, and we met several Americans in our journey. It was very much a worthwhile experience, and I cannot wait to share pictures with my family, friends, and classmates.

Hope all are doing well back in the States!

-Jimmy

Hello!!

2010-12-03T11:58:00.002-05:00

Well we have survived almost a full week in Italy and I am not sure I have fully grasped being here. Yes, the language is different, keys on the computer are different and customs are not what I am used to but somehow it all stills has that home feeling for me. We spent a few nights in Rome and the city was constantly alive with people, cars, motorcycles (which I loved!) and noise, so to me it was just like being on vaction in NYC. So even though Rome and NYC have very different customs I still see similarites between the two, which makes me remeber we are all the same and what we percive as different is the only thing that makes us so.

This week we will be in Florence, a much smaller town but still has the energy of a bigger city. I am off to Bologna tomorrow for a day trip and looking forward to comparing all three cities to home.

Ciao for now!

Hi from Florence :)

2010-12-03T11:28:00.002-05:00

It still hasn't hit me that we are finally here after waiting so long for this trip. I can honestly say the sights I have seen are literally breathtaking. My pictures never seem to justify what i have actually seen . So far my favorite town has been Assisi. I love Rome and Florence, but Assisi is unlike anything I have ever seen. It's hard to imagine that people actually live there everyday with those views. Assisi is home to st. Francis's basillica which was absolutely beautiful. St. Francis's relics are housed in the basement of the church, and those were neat to see especially since I did my project about him. Rome was a crazy city, where traffic laws are optional. Florence is a bit more roomy ifyou will and today I saw my first vegetable stand where produce didn't cost five euros per kilogram. Today we also went to a market which reminded me a lot of findlay market in cincinnati. Anyway, tomorrow is our day trip and Olivia, Kailee, Andrea and I are off to cortona :) talk to you soon!

Florence!

2010-12-03T11:06:00.005-05:00

Twenty-four hours have passed since departing Assisi and arriving in Florence. I was in fear of a hangover; Assisi was the most intoxicating site I've ever witnessed. I couldn't imagine anything ever comparing to it's beauty. Although Florence is not as breathtaking and naturally beautiful, it is a rather brilliant city. The historical sites are offset by surrounding hills that look like they were handcrafted by the great artists themselves. The clouds hang just above the hills, as if to mingle with them. The view from atop the Duomo offers this site. Climbing St. Peter's was a much greater chore than climbing the Duomo. Similar in height, yes, but the structure of the stairs made the latter a much more pleasant climb. Before the Duomo we started our morning at the Medici chapel, where we saw tombs and burial sites for some of Florence's most powerful men and works by one of the greatest, Michelangelo. We also visited San Lorenzo, San Maria Novella, explored the markets, and found ourselves learning about public transportation courtesy of Dr. Mills.

Compared to Rome, Florence feels much more genuine. A song by the Arcade Fire tags the line, "it feels like I've been living in a city with no children in it, a garden left for ruins by a billionaire outside of a private prison." That was my exact thought for Rome, beautiful but modern. It seemed deprived of families and simplicity. It felt very much like New York. There were amazing historical sites, but they were mostly ruins of a former life, a former Rome. Florence, however, has the big city feel but also has those essential features to make for the suburban life. The view from atop the Duomo justifies this as I could see homes and neighborhood, and real life happening. Florence has less tourists, a more lively atmosphere, and the perfect balance of lifestyles. It feels a lot likes Columbus.

Well it's time explore Florence more! Until next time!
Ciao!

Under the Tuscan sun

2010-12-02T17:44:00.002-05:00

We are currently in Florence. I like this city so much better than Rome already. We have had very little time to explore but there is a lot of shopping that I am very excited to tackle. So far the trip has been great. We have seen so many beautiful sights. Today we went to Assisi which was absolutely gorgeous. The language barrier hasn't been as difficult as I imagined, however this keyboard is different so please ignore any typing errors. I am very excited to get the ball rolling in Florence this week. Ciao!

When In Rome...or Florence

2010-12-02T17:16:00.002-05:00

Well we have moved on from Rome to Florence! Rome was not exactly what I expected, but still incredible. I learned a lot; like how to buy a bus ticket and get on a bus without chaperones guiding you. If you hesitate outside of a restaurant, the host will offer you free champagne! Cars/vespas park and drive on the sidewalks, so watch where you're going (cough, cough...Jazmyne!) And gelato is AMAZING! Today we spent the day in Assisi, which was absolutely INCREDIBLE! The view alone was worth the entire cost of the trip. Even the bus ride held amazing views and sparked fantasies of moving to Italy forever! Florence seems promising so far, I can't wait to get out and explore tomorrow...and go shopping ;) Ciao!

Ciao from Erin! :)

2010-12-02T16:37:00.002-05:00

Italy has been amazing so far!! The first day was very tiring with all the rain, sightseeing , and most importantly the time difference. Rome was cool, but it seemed more like New York City with all the traffic, graffiti, and busyness. The trip to Assisi was breathtaking today! The scenery was so green, with hills with beautiful buildings on them, and tons of sheep grazing. Assisi was even more beautiful than I expected. We were able to see the San Francesco church which Dr. Johnson kept telling us we wouldn't be able to see through all the fog. It seriously looked like it was a scene from out of a movie. We've only been in Florence for the night, but I can tell I'm already going to love it. It's a lot more calm than Rome and I don't fear Jazmyne almost getting hit by cars as often :) It's time to go to bed to rest my sore legs from those 551 steps we climbed from the Dome yesterday. Goodnight and miss you all from home :)

"Roaming" in Rome/Assisi

2010-12-02T16:03:00.003-05:00

Buon Giorno,

The first three nights in Rome were amazing!!! The first night was rainy and everyone was really tired because of the long flight. We saw a lot of amazing statues and paintings. I also saw my magnificent fresco in the Vatican which was Mount Parnassus. The trip too Assisi was gorgeous!!! It was not foggy like it was last year, it was just right. I even brought some soap which smell amazing. Erin brought soap that smells like cake....YUM =) I also saw a gorgeous man in Assisi, he was tall with a cute little bun. If only I took a picture SIGH. :) We are now in Florence which is a lot different from Rome. Rome was very busy which is kind of like New York City, whereas Florence is like Westerville. We are going to spend a seven days here in Florence, I'm pretty excited. Next is Venice. That's it for now!!

Ciao

By the way,
Gelato is AMAZING!!!!!

A day in Paradise

2010-12-02T15:09:00.000-05:00

We took a day trip to Assisi today! It was amazing. It is this small town up in the hills/mountains and it is between Rome and Florence. It was the prettiest place and i guess we totally lucked out on the weather, it was pri 50 and sunny most of the day :) We went to the Church of St. Francis and St. Claire, went in various shops and admired the amazing atmosphere and streets and buildings of Assisi. I am having a wonderful time but i miss you family and nick!! I cant wait to tell you all about this experience. Its also really cool because we as a class are getting so comfortable and close with one another.
More updates later, we are in Florence for the next week :) Ciao!

Day 2 in Rome

2010-12-01T17:35:00.002-05:00

Our second day in Rome was very eventful. We started out at the Vatican. The ceiling of the Sistine chapel was amazing along with the rest of the Vatican. Then we went to St. Peters Basilica. It blew my mind how enormous the inside of the church was. From the outside I was not expecting it to be like that on the inside, but it was beautiful. My favorite part of the day was the view of Rome from the top of the Dome of St. Peters, after we all got our workout from climbing what seemed like the never ending number of stairs, but it was worth it. We also went to the Pantheon, and the Plazza Navona. We all through in our coins into the Trevi Fountain, which was bigger than I expected. We went to the Spanish steps and it was neat too see the city lit up at night. Tomorrow we are headed to Assisi and then on to Florence, I am excited to see how they both compare to what we have experienced so far in Rome.

Also I had Italian gelato for the first time and it was delicious!!

Ciao,
Olivia

We made it!

2010-12-01T17:19:00.004-05:00

Well we survived day 2 in Rome, and so far our days have been packed with site seeing. Its a whole new experience actually getting to visit these sites that we have talked about in class. Today we went to the Vatican, which was amazing to say the least, there was constantly something to look at. After the Vatican we headed to St Peter Basilica, it was crazy how enormous the structure was. Then all of us got a chance to climb to the top of the dome, by the time we reached the top all of us were out of breath but the view was worth it. Tomorrow we head to Assisi and then on to Florence...and until then ciao :)

Our first full day in Rome...and a full day it was!!!

2010-12-01T17:09:00.002-05:00

We're at the end of our first full day in Rome, and a full day it was! It started with an early morning metro ride to the Vatican Museums, where we spent a fantastic few hours: we had the Sistine Chapel pretty much to ourselves (though the overcast skies made it not as bright inside as we would have liked), and then wandered in and out of the Raphael Rooms, the collection of ancient Greek and Roman statuary, and the hall of tapestries. We ambled over to St Peter's square and went inside the Basilica. We climbed the many hundreds of steps to the dome of St Peter's for amazing views of the (wet!!) city below. After lunch, we walked across the Ponte Saint Angelo and took in the Christmas market at the Piazza Navona, saw the Pantheon, the amazing ceilings at San Ignatio, threw coins in the Trevi Fountain, climbed the steps of the Quirinale Hill to see the residence of the President of Italy, took a brief rest at the hotel before heading over to the Spanish Steps....and all this before dinner!

Take a look at the pictures (link on the left hand side of the blog) for some evidence of what we were up to!

Tomorrow, we head off to Assisi for a few hours before laying our heads at our hotel in Florence. It probably will be a day or two before we have reliable internet access again, so enjoy the pictures in our absence. And thanks to the Hotel Aberdeen in Rome for free wifi! If you're ever in Rome, do consider staying at the Hotel Aberdeen!

Ciao a tutti and buona notte!

Italy Update from Lisa!!!

2010-12-01T15:47:00.002-05:00

Salve, Well obviously I arrived safely in Italy and I am now in Rome, but I will be leaving tomorrow morning for Florence. So far I am having a blast in Italy and the food and wine is amazing. I have been to the Colesseum, the Vatican, Trive Fountain (Where I threw a coin in and saw an old man stealing coins from it), I climb St. Peter's Dome, which was 551 steps. I have been to many other places too. The traffic here is crazy. No one cares who or what's in their way you just have to move. They also do not care where they park because they take up almost the whole street and on sidewalks. But overall it has been fun and interesting. To my family I love you all and miss.

Ciao,
Lisa Shoemaker

I'm In ITALY!!

2010-12-01T12:13:00.002-05:00

So it's day 2 in Italy! The trip has been amazing so far, just as I had expected. We have already seen so much in Rome so far...well what seems like a lot I know there is MUCH more to see! I'd have to say St. Peters Cathedral was probably my favorite...we climbed to the very tip top of it. The view from the top was absolutely amazing!! It overlooked all of Rome it was such a great experience. Anyway, I have to get going because we are about to go climb the Spanish Steps! Tomorrow morning we leave for Florence and stop by Assisi...I'm super excited!!

P.s. The drivers here are INSANE..
P.S.s The gelato was very good!!

Okay talk to everyone soon!

Ciao!
Kailee

update from Court ;)

2010-11-30T15:21:00.002-05:00

Hi Dad!
This is pretty cool we have this to communicate with everyone on! pray for no more rain for us and for snow there lol i think a lot of us are enjoying the 60 degree weather here but looking forward to some snow when we get back into the states! heading to the Vatican tomorrow! Theres a 6 hour time difference, not 5 like i originally told you all, sorry about the confusion :) Love you all!
Courtney

Rainy day in Rome

2010-11-30T10:55:00.001-05:00

We have arrived, and it is raining. That didn't stop us, however. We visited Santa Pudenza, Santa Maria Maggiore, The Colosseum, Palatine Hill, Roman Forum, and walked all up Via Nazionale back to our hotel, all in the soaking rain. The trip from the airport was a bit of an adventure, but we experience Rome rush hour, and we all arrived safe and sound. Pictures and more tales to follow!

Frescoes!

2010-11-29T18:03:00.000-05:00

We're about to board for Rome

2010-11-29T17:45:00.001-05:00

The flight from Columbus to Philadelphia was swift and smooth and we're now sitting at our gate in Philadelphia, waiting for our group to be called to board our flight to Rome! Look for updates in 24 hours or so, as it'll be a while before I can find some internet access in Roma.

Ciao a tutti!

Visiting Venice in the Winter

2010-11-29T08:25:00.003-05:00

Here's a story from Sunday's NYTimes Travel section about the joys of visiting Venice in the winter.

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/travel/28Venice.html?ref=travel

I'm not familiar with Joseph Brodsky's "Watermark", the book-length poem the author of this article refers to, but I'm looking to pick up a copy when we're there!

Follow us here on our trip

2010-11-27T11:43:00.003-05:00

Well, we all depart in two days, and amid watching football, finishing leftovers, I'm sure we are all busy packing for our Italian adventure. You can follow us here on the blog, as we'll be posting updates as we wind our way through Rome, Assisi, Florence, Venice, Padua and some of the surrounding countryside. Feel free to leave comments if you wish and happy holidays to all!

British art restorer uncovers a lost Giotto masterpiece

2010-11-20T13:37:00.002-05:00

Dr Johnson sent this article around a few weeks back. Here's a link to it. Maybe we'll get a chance to see this Giotto crucifix in Florence!

http://gu.com/p/2kttc

New Cardinals Installed at St Peter's

2010-11-20T11:23:00.002-05:00

This video, about the installation of 24 new cardinals by Pope Benedict, features some excellent video of the interior of St. Peter's Basillica.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWb9n14c3II&feature=player_embedded

Fra Angelico's Annunciation Annotated Bibliography

2010-11-17T18:14:00.000-05:00

Annotated Bibliography

*Academic Search Complete. Fra Angelico. Retrieved November 2, 2010 Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition.

In this source it gives a short abstract overview of the painter Fra Angelico. Simple and short it describes who he was, mentioning his artistic style and who he was influenced by. It describes in brief the transition Angelico experienced through his lifetime. This was one of the first readings I read about Fra Angelico, so it was a good starting point of what I would be learning as I wrote this paper, but did not have enough information needed.

*Dictionary of Art Online. Fra Angelico. Retrieved Novemeber 2, 2010 http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/results/getResults.jhtml?_DARGS=/hww/results/results_common.jhtml.34

In this source it gives an in-depth look into the background information of Fra Angelico. Along with an in-depth look into each piece of art Angelico created. In the source it also describes the location of Fra Angelico throughout his lifetime and where he created his works. The source also breaks down Angelico’s techniques he used and how he’s techniques used to create his works of art changed with time. Specifically this source goes into the description of the Annunciation. The source was an excellent resource for my paper and was very detail specific.

*Encyclopedia of World Biography. Fra Angelico. Retrieved November 5, 2010 from http://www.notablebiographies.com/An-Ba/Angelico-Fra.html

In the biography of Fra Angelico it talked about the early years of Angelico as he was preparing to take his vows to become a monk in the Order of Domincan Preachers with his brother. This article talks about the beginning stages of how his talent got started. Later in the source it mentions the projects Angelico worked on throughout his life. Lastly the biography proceeds with a small description of Angelico’s later years before his passing.

*The Museums of Florence. The Convent of Saint Marco. Retrieved November 5, 2010 from http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/museum_of_san_marco.html.

This website describes what artwork is in The Convent of Saint Marco, where one of the Annunciation’s is displayed. Along with list the numerous artists showcased with their works. The main website page gives a list of museums in Florence and gives an overview of the history and specific art displays housed in each museum. I thought that this website was really helpful, especially if you want to research information on other museums in Florence. It would be particularly helpful to a traveler coming through Florence because along with the historic art information, it also gives information on the landscape surrounding Florence.

*Tracking the Entire World. Fra Angelico. Retrieved November 5, 2010. http://www.nndb.com/people/692/000084440/.

On this website it gave more personal information about who Fra Angelico was and how he represented himself. I had not found an article or source that really described Fra Angelico besides being a religious man. So I found it interesting to learn more about who he was as a person and not just an artist. Along with the source gave a descriptive overview of Angelico from his life and works of art.

Vitruvian Man Annotated Bibliography

2010-11-17T18:13:00.000-05:00

Annotated Bibliography

Atalay, Bulent. Math and the Mona Lisa: the art and science of Leonardo da Vinci. Washington: Smithsonian, 2004.

This book was written about the connections between math, science and art. It takes a closer look at the math and science that lies beneath Leonardo’s art work. It examines the proportions, symmetries, patterns and shapes that are evident in Leonardo’s masterpieces and how there is a strong connection in that to science and nature. This book was very interesting and provided a more uncommon but fascinating view of the examination of Leonardo’s works. It uses Leonardo da Vinci as a model for the perspective that science is significantly influenced by art and art by science.

Kemp, Martin. Leonardo. New York: Oxford University Press Inc, 2004.

This book takes an in depth look into Leonardo’s life. It describes in detail Leonardo’s childhood and adolescence, and examines some of the events that occurred to him that led to the beginning of his career as an artist. Throughout the rest of the book, Kemp explores Leonardo’s interests, ideas, writings, drawings and other works of art. Kemp breaks down Leonardo’s unique life and offers the reader a captivating look into the mind of one of history’s most innovative thinkers. This book was very helpful in gaining an understanding and appreciation of the many accomplishments of Leonardo da Vinci.

Phillips, Cynthia and Shana Priwer. The Everything Da Vinci Book: Explore the life and times of the ultimate Renaissance man. Avon, MA: Adams Media, 2006.

This book is a chapter by chapter breakdown of Leonardo’s life. It starts out with the early days of his childhood and moves into his life throughout the Renaissance. The chapters are then broken down into all of his different interests and areas of expertise, including paintings, drawings, sculptures, science, architecture, inventions and other accomplishments. This book offered insight into how well-rounded of a man Leonardo truly was, and was very helpful in understanding the complexity his life.

“Renaissance Man”. Museum of Science. Boston, MA: 2010. http://www.mos.org/leonardo/bio.html.

This website offered a good overview of information, and was a useful starting point for the more in depth research that other four sources had to offer.

Teisch, Jessica with Tracy Barr. Da Vinci For Dummies. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley Publishing Inc, 2005.

This book is a great tool and starting reference for gaining information about Leonardo da Vinci. It gives specifics about his life and tries to explain his works of art as well as other accomplishments he made throughout his life. This book was particularly useful when researching and trying to understand Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man. It also listed places to find Leonardo’s original works of art as well as listing other sources of where one can find more information on Leonardo da Vinci.

Annotated Bibliography

2010-11-14T21:20:00.000-05:00

Bibliography

"Art History at Loggia Primavera, by the Artist Sandro Botticelli." Loggia Exploring the Arts and Humanities! Web. 07 Nov. 2010. .
The Loggia website provides a description of the Primavera and it includes links to pages with information about each character where you can learn the significance of each one. This was a good source because you could learn more about each of the characters in the painting.

"Botticelli's Primavera." Culture Guide. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. .
The Culture Guide provides a description and analysis of the Primavera by Botticelli. The analysis at this website is well thought out and provides ideas that other sources do not.

Lightbown, Ronald. Sandro Botticelli: Life and Work. New York: Abbeville, 1989. Print.
Lightbown's book is an in-depth biography of Botticelli's life and includes detailed information and close ups on many of his famous works. This was a great source because there were many close-ups provided of the Primavera, so I could get an in-depth view of all the different areas in the piece.

"Paintings by Sandro Botticelli." World History by History Link 101. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. .
When this website was created, it was intended as a resource for history teachers. This website provides information on Botticelli's Primavera that is very insightful that I did not read in other sources, but there is not as much information as I would have liked to see.

"Sandro Botticelli - Biography and Gallery of Art." Life of an Artist - Biographies and Galleries. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. .
This website had a biography of Botticelli including information on several of this works and a photo gallery. The biography was focused on the order of the works that were created as opposed to the artist’s personality and events in his life.

"World Art Treasures: Sandro Botticelli." J.-E Berger Foundation: World Art Treasures. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. .
The Berger foundation includes a comparison of the content and ideas of Botticelli's Birth of Venus and his Primavera. This was an interesting source because I could see an extension of the work that I am studying in his other painting.

Lilian, Zirpolo. "Botticelli's "Primavera": A Lesson for the Bride." Woman's Art Journal 12.2 (1991): 24-28. Print.
Zirpolo's article contains an in-depth discussion of Botticelli's Primavera and its original purposes when it was created, which was to show a new bride how she is supposed to behave. This article is very interesting because istead of just discussing the basic meaning of the work, it discusses why it was created in the first place.

Questions for A Room with a View

2010-11-11T14:29:00.002-05:00

As you read E. M. Forster's A Room with a View, it would be helpful to think about the following questions. We will deal with these questions, and related themes, in our class discussion of the book.

What do we see in the novel about why people travel? About what the benefit of travel is? What the challenges of travel are?
What is the role of the chaperone when it comes to travel? Why must Lucy have a chaperone? What is the task of the chaperone? Is Charlotte a good chaperone?
How does travel affect the characters in the novel? Clearly Lucy is the chief character affected by travel, but think of how the other characters--both those who travel and those who don't travel--are affected by the traveling.
In what ways do the travelers bring their experiences back home with them?
What does Italy represent in this novel? Why is the travel that happens in the novel travel to Italy? Does it represent different things in different parts of the novel?

There are some passages that warrant further thought. Here are some to think about (in no particular order):

The last two paragraphs of Chapter 17
"'Life,' wrote a friend of mine, 'is a public performance on the violin, in which you must learn the instrument as you go along.'" (Mr. Emerson talking to Lucy in Chapter 19)
The second and third paragraphs of Chapter 10
The paragraph a couple pages into Chapter 6 that begins, "Oh indeed," said Mr. Eager.... and the next paragraph or two after that. What is being said here about tourists?
"The true Italy is only to be found by patient observation" (Miss Lavish to Lucy, Chapter 2), and then a little later on: "One doesn't come to Italy for niceness...one comes for life."

Think about these passages, and whether they prompt some response or thoughts. Come up with your own favorite passages as well.

Annotated Bibliography

2010-11-10T14:47:00.000-05:00

Annotated Bibliography

Cooperativa IL SOGNO. Trevi Fountain. Rome Guide. Available at
http://www.romeguide.it /MONUM/STORICI/trevi/trevi.htm

This source provides a clear cut, basic information on the Trevi Fountain and its history. The information is separated quite well to provide for finding information easily and is also placed chronologically. It had a lot of interesting information and and some great facts about the fountain that no other sites had. It also provided a plethora of pictures for references.

Fontana di Trevi Review. Real Travel Inc. 15 June 2006 Available at
http://realtravel.com/r-161276-rome_review-legend_says_that_
if_you_toss_a_coin_into_the_fountain

This is one of the few sources that actually tells what the two bas-relief sculptures depict. Though most of the information is correct it is another review of when someone was in Rome.

Jessica. The Trevi Fountain: History and Legend. Why Go: Italy, 8 January 2009.
Available at http://www.italylogue.com/things-to-do/trevi-fountain-history-
legend.html

At first look through this seems like a great source. It has great pictures and a lot of information that is well laid out. Though it seems like a good source there are little to no references and a lot of the information was incorrect or not consistent with other sources. If you are looking for some good propaganda for why you should go visit Rome or the Trevi Fountain then this is a great site but not all that scholarly.

Life of Niccolo Salvi. Lib Art. Available at http://www.lib-art.com/artgallery/1165-
niccol%EF%A3%BA-salvi.html

There was not much information on Niccolo Salvi on this webpage but it gave me the basics. It was also one of the few sites with information about Niccolo that did not call him Nicola. It really had no information but it did have a few pictures of the fountain.
"Nicola Salvi." Encyclopedia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 07 Nov.
2010 .

There was not much information on the life of Nicola Salvi online and this is the only source that had much substance at all. It was a great resource for the basics but when I tried to look at the rest of the article I was unable to. It also had a works cited for the site in MLA and APA format which to me meant that it was used as a resource quite often.

Trevi Fountain. “A view on cities”, available at: http://www.aviewoncities.com/rome/
trevi.htm

This site was a great source of information and provided it in great detail. It had pictures that went along with what the article was talking about. The information was very helpful and was straight and to the point. It also had a lot of explanation about what is being depicted on the fountain which was hard to find in other sources. Over all analysis: great source.
Trevi Fountain (Fontana di Trevi). Rome.info Available at http://www.rome.info/sights/ trevi-fountain/
Like many of the other sources this site provided little information but the information that it does have is helpful. It also has few pictures but does give a good brief overview of the fountain.

Trevi Fountain, Rome. Italy Heaven. Available at http://www.italyheaven.co.uk/rome
/trevi-fountain.html

This is a nice first hand account about the Trevi Fountain and the information here is concurrent with other information I have found. There is not much information here but what is here is helpful. There are not many pictures to go along with the information though.

The Trevi Fountain. Gardin Fountains, 2007. Available at http://www.garden-
fountains.com/articles/trevi-fountain.html

This source was a pretty good source of information. It provided a lot of information about how the fountain came in to being and also about its measurements. Other than that it had little information.

The Resourceful Site on the Trevi Fountain in Roma. Trevifountain.net, 2010 Available at http://www.trevifountain.net/description2.htm
This is an extremely helpful site that actually describes all of what is on the Trevi Fountain and explains how is all comes together. This is the absolute best source I found and it explains not only what is on the façade but also what it all means and what the buildings around are.
Trevi Fountain: History and Legend. Tor Vergata, 2002-2009. Available at
http://www.tor-vergata.com/scuola_iad.htm

Like one of the other sources at first this site seemed like a great source and it turned out not to be. It provided some good information but the site is in another language except for the article so I am not sure how credible the site really is.

Here is the site about all the other fountains:

Fountains of rome
http://www.romeartlover.it/Fountain.html#Trevi

2010-11-09T13:04:00.001-05:00

Bibliography
"Lorenzo de’ Medici." 2010. Biography.com. 7 Nov 2010, 09:02 .
This source gives a good description of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s lifestlyle. It discusses his love for the arts and his popularity. It does not however discuss much about his wife and children or how he came to be in power. Without outside knowledge I would not have had an understanding of the importance of the Medici name in Florence at the time. There is also a quick summary of the Pazzi conspiracy that does not go into detail. There is no author to this source which may decrease its credibility, however it is from a reliable site with biographies of many important people.
Horth, Susan. The Magnificent Medici. PBS. WOSU, Columbus, OH, 02 Nov. 2004. Television.
I gained the majority of my information from this program. This was aired on PBS and discussed Lorenzo de’ Medici’s entire reign over Florence. The program did a great job of describing his influence over the culture of the city and the enemies he made in the process. I gained a better understanding of the Pazzi conspiracy and its effect on the country. This also discussed Savonarola and the difference in opinion between the two. It ended by discussing the rapid change in Florence after Lorenzo’s death and the beginning of Savonarola’s role. The program came from a reliable source since PBS produces many historical documentaries to accurately portray the subject matter.
“Lorenzo De' Medici." Renaissance Art, Artists, and Society. 2007. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. .
This site provided evidence of Lorenzo de’ Medici’s humanism. It discusses his education before coming into power. Also his attitude towards art and life in general is discussed and allows you to infer his humanistic beliefs. I am unsure as to the reliability of this site. There is no author and it is a site dedicated to the Renaissance time period.
"Lorenzo De Medici - Definition." Dictionary, Encyclopedia and Thesaurus - WordIQ Dictionary. 2010. Web. 07 Nov. 2010. .
This is another short biography of Lorenzo de’ Medici. It gives quick descriptions of his life and his claim to power and popularity. This website did not describe the Pazzi conspiracy, however it gave information about the effects of the conspiracy and Lorenzo’s need for powerful allies. The website has no author and again there is no evidence of its reliability aside from the fact that much of the information is the same as previous sources.

Annotated bibliography-Kailee Miller-San Miniato

2010-11-08T11:58:00.001-05:00

1) Aitelli, Glenn, and Jeanne Aitelli. "San Miniato." Travel-To-Florence.com. Glenn Aitelli, 2009. Web. 7 Nov 2010.

<http://www.travel-to-florence.com/San-Miniato.html>.

This website gives a brief, yet detailed summary of the history of the San Miniato. This website provides great descriptions about the inside of the church. There are also pictures on this website for the viewer to see. It is a great source for someone us without becoming too overwhelmed.

2) Facaros, Dana, and Michael Pauls. Tuscany. New Holland Publishers, 2006. 174-177. Print.

This book has a few pages in it that not only gives a history of the San Miniato, but also an overview of the different artworks that lie within the church. This would be a great source to start with, and then research further if one would like more information. Pictures are also provided of the church and of a few of the different artworks.

3) Hidden Italy, . "San Miniato al Monte." Hidden Italy 1997: Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/san_miniato.html>.

This website provides a source of information about the church of San Miniato. Pictures are provided with descriptions under each one. Enough information is given on this site that the reader would have an understanding of how the church was built and for whom.

Horn, Walter. "Romanesque Churches in Florence: A study in their chronology and stylistic development." Art Bulletin 25.2 (1943): 112-131. Web. 1 Nov 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3046874>.

This journal article goes into depth about the construction of the church and the style that

was used for it. This is a great resource for someone interested in the Romanesque style

of architecture in particular. This article discusses how the researchers discovered the

layout of the church and the order that it was constructed in. The researchers discovered

these findings by examining the architecture and particular areas of it, since these were

unknown.

5) Howard, Saalaman. "Paolo Uccello at San Miniato." Burlington Magazine, Ltd. 106.741 (1964): 558-563. Web. 5 Nov 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/874506>.

This article discusses the fresco paintings that were discovered in the cloister of San Miniato. These frescos were created by Paolo Uccello. Details are discussed about when the frescos were created and the significance that they played with the San Miniato.

6) Mack, Charles. "The Building Programme of the Cloister of San Miniato." Burlington Magazine Publications, Ltd. 115.844 (1973): 447-448+450-452. Web. 6 Nov 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/pss/877356>.

This article supplies the reader with information about the uprising of the San Miniato al Monte, who it was created for, the design, and the architecture itself. Charles Mack found this information through his own personal research and by studying older articles and pieces left behind. Although this article is brief, it still gives a good insight into the basis of the church. Charles Mack does not go into as much detail about the frescos that are in the church, which may be of interest to someone going to see this church. Pictures are provided of the church.

7) Paoletti, John, and Gary Radke. Art in Renaissance Italy. 3rd. London, United Kingdom: Laurence King Publishing Ltd. 2005, 2005. 170. Print.

This book is not entirely about the San Miniato, but on page 170 it does provide

information about some of the frescos in it. It provides the reader also with pictures of

some of the frescos that are within the church walls. This page is a great reference source,

and is easy to follow.

8) "Romanesque architecture." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2010. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 08 Nov. 2010 <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1384996/Romanesque-architecture>.

By viewing this information in the Encyclopedia Britannica about Romanesque art and

architecture one will receive an informative overview of what this style of architecture

consisted of. This article provides dates and descriptions of this ancient style of work that

are easy for the reader to follow and understand.

Annotated Bibliography - Etruscan Sarcophagus Larthia Seianti

2010-11-08T11:24:00.002-05:00

Steingraeber, Stephen, "Investing In The Afterlife," Dig 6, no. 3, (March 2004), 6.

The article highlights the importance Etruscans placed on death and the subsequent afterlife. They crafted elaborate tombs that reflected their value of honoring the dead. Sites were built at the tomb for family and friends to pay homage to the deceased; these were specifically in the way of elevated platforms. Corridors usually lead into the main chamber of the tomb, and along the way walls were decorated with architectural detail consisting of features like windows and columns. In the chamber the deceased were placed on stone beds or in wooden sarcophagi. This is where the investment can be seen. All around the tomb rich burial gifts were placed. These included things such as vases, weapons, and jewelry. Tomb art reflected Greek influence and style, but the custom of decorating the tomb was an Etruscan concept. Wall scenes depicted mostly humans and animals, and they provided information about daily living, sports, banquets, and social customs.

Merola, Marco. "Unearthing The Tomb of The Badger." Archaeology 61, no. 5 (September 2008), 27-29.

This essay is on the recent discovery of a new Etruscan tomb. The tomb has been determined to be one of the largest gravesites from the era. Despite this being at the end of the Etruscan era and the beginning on the Roman, the burial still has all the markings and customs of traditional Etruscan sentiment. Etruscan tombs were noteworthy for their valuables, and many of them remained in place here. Vases, bronze mirrors, and sarcophagi make up the largest portion.

"Etruscan civilization." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (July 2010): 1.

This entry was the most in-depth look at Etruscan lifestyle. It covered the history of the civilization from it's earliest roots of Asia Minor to the dominance of Rome that befell it. There is great consideration for social-political structure and also valuable information about military life. Religion, art, and architecture comprise the majority of the article. Through art, specifically burial sites, we have come to learn a great deal about Etruscan religion and values. Art was mostly in the forms of wall paintings and sculptures. The purpose was not intrinsic, as much of it details history and seems to honor their gods and goddesses. There is a great influence of Greek style in the art, but Etruscan art had a significant influence on early Roman art, too.

Warden, P. Gregory. "Etruscan Treasures From The Temple And The Tomb,” Veranda 23, no. 3 (April 2009), 44.

This essay is similar to the "Investing" article. It focuses on the immense wealth that Etruscans accumulated, and their desire to take it with them. They had faith in a material afterlife, no doubt. The tombs were adorned with bronze, silver, and rare gold techniques. Their mastery for metalwork is evident as well. The essay does note a slight shift in themes from the beginning of Etruscan civilization to the end. In earlier centuries tombs displayed paintings focused on lively and cheerful events. Later paintings, however, were more focused on death and the afterlife. This shift could be the result of struggles and slow growth as the region was being dominated by the advancing Roman civilization.

Bernard, Nancy Stone, “The Mysterious Etruscans,” Dig 6, no. 3 (March 2004), 6.

This article is a short one-page essay on how we can use artifacts from Etruscan life to tell us about their world and culture. Bernard talks about the importance of writings and inscriptions, along with artifacts like urns, helmets, and jewelry. It relates to the “Investing” essay because it continues with the theme of the afterlife and superstition.

“Etruscan Art,” from Hunt For (2007), retrieved 7 November 2010 from

This website is a quick overview of Etruscan art, it’s different uses, and the significance of it over time. It details many of the same points and facts as the other essays. It was especially useful because it has many images of Etruscan artwork, and it also offers links to other Etruscan related information.

“The Sarcophaugs of Larthia Seianti”, from Popoli Antichi (2003), retrieved 7 November 2010 from

This is the most in-depth analysis of Larthia Seianti that I was able to find. It is originally an Italian article, so it had to be translated. It thoroughly discusses the body position, colors, and portrait of the female subject. It references the mild-manner face of the subject, and how it relates to the shift in burial theme from early to later centuries. It also gives a description of her garments, the moldings on the sarcophagus, and the significance of the other artifacts that were found in the tomb. Overall, this was probably the most helpful in analyzing Larthia Seianti.

annotated bibliography

2010-11-08T11:06:00.001-05:00

References

Dennis, M., Nangle, O. J., Moe-Lobeda, C., & Taylor, S. (1993). St. Francis and the Foolishness of God. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books.

St. Francis and the Foolishness of God is a biography of St. Francis of Assisi. The authors have tried to imitate Francis on his walk of life, with each chapter pertaining to his beliefs about a particular subject, such as community or suffering. The book was helpful when I was researching Francis’ beliefs about creation. It provided details and quotes in relation not only to his adult life after he became a monk, but also provided a glimpse of his childhood. This source is biased only in the fact that the authors are Catholics who wish to bring their readers closer to God. For this reason, their writing may not be strictly objective.

Francis of Assisi. (2010, 11 04). Retrieved 11 05, 2010, from Wikipedia: HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi

Wikipedia provided a good starting point. Giving a brief summary, this site provided much of St. Francis’ biographical information. The goal of Wikipedia was to give a brief overview of who St. Francis was, and his important contributions. The information was straight-forward facts so it was non-biased. This source was a helpful starting point in my research. I was able to get an idea of where to go next, based on his major contributions.

Irvine, W. B. (2009). A Guide to the Good Life. New York: Oxford University Press.

This book did not provide me with information about St. Francis himself, but is sited in my paper because Seneca’s ideas which are explained in A Guide to the Good Life, parallel St. Francis’ in some ways. The novel is written by a present day author, who outlines the principles of stoicism. Irvine is a stoic, so the novel is not purely objective, but biased in favor of stoicism. Irvine’s ideas about the luxuries of life are similar to those of St. Francis’, so the book was helpful in assisting me in making those comparisons.

Nations, U. (2010, 11 08). UNESCO World Heritage. Retrieved 11 08, 2010, from Assisi, the Basilica of San Francesco: HYPERLINK "http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/990" http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/990

The World Heritage website lists and explains each of the world heritage sites, separated by country. It also includes qualifications for becoming a world heritage site. The Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi is a designated World Heritage Site and is listed on the website. Therefore, the site was helpful for me to collect information regarding the site. It is non-biased and was a helpful source that provided me with information regarding a place we will actually see in Assisi.

Robinson, t. b. (1905). Sacred-texts. Retrieved 11 05, 2010, from The Writings of St. Francis of Assisi: HYPERLINK "http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/wosf/index.htm" http://www.sacred-texts.com/chr/wosf/index.htm

This website is actually a book that was translated in 1905. It was put on the web and includes St. Francis’ actual works. The site is broken down into parts that progress from rules, to letters, to prayers of St. Francis. This source was the most helpful when I was conducting research because it contained so much of St. Francis’ actual writings. I was able to read what Francis actually wrote rather than a biography. The information I got here was also the most accurate because it did come straight from St. Francis, assuming that the translator did so correctly.

Spoto, D. (2002). Reluctant Saint: The Life of Francis of Assisi. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

This source was another biography written about St. Francis of Assisi. The book was organized by time period, with each chapter depicting a range of years in Francis’ life. From this source, I was able to obtain information that supplemented some of my main points in my paper. This book tried to capture not only events in Francis’ life, but also his personality and character. Because of this, I felt like I “knew” St. Francis better than simply reading facts about him, or works that he had written.

Annotative Bibliography

2010-11-08T10:48:00.001-05:00

Asiado, Tel. Suite101. 28 September 2009. 5 Novmeber 2010 .
--This site contains a lot of information about Machiavelli including a short biography and the different roles he played as a diplomat and a political writer. Also, lists the books by Machiavelli. This was mainly describing what Machiavelli did as the Second Chancellor of the Republic of Florence.

Chew, Robin. Lucidcafe:Library. 2010. 2 November 2010 .
-There is the same basic information about the life of Machiavelli, but here is where you can find his view about using forces such as violence to gain power. Also, his basic roles during that time period. This is again just a breif summary about his life and does not go into depth.

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2009. 5 November 2010 .
-This site contained Machiavelli and realism. Also, discusses the humanism a characteristic in Machiavelli’s work, but that was only one section on the site. The rest of the site does not say anything about Machiavelli.

New World Encyclopedia. 3 April 2008. 5 Novmeber 2010 .
-This was the second most helpful site because it did not just tell you where he was born or that he was simply just a political writer. There is information about his early life, diplomatic mission, and his history under the Medici family. It goes into depth about his works The Prince, The Discourses. There are also criticisms of his works and about his legacy.

Niccolo Machiavelli. 2009. 2 November 2010 .
- This website is very sort and has just basic information about the life of Machiavelli and his early political involvement. It is not that excited or contains a lot of information and would be used for just a very short summary about Machiavelli's reputation involving his works.

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 8 September 2009. 5 November 2010 .
-Most helpful site for information about Machiavelli. There is a complete biography about him along with the relationship between him and the Medici family. There is a analysis of The Prince and the concept of power explaining the entire purpose of that work. The meaning of virtue and fortune according to Machiavelli and his views on morality, religion, and politics are included. Then there is a section relating the concepts of the state and The Prince. There is a interpretation of The Discourses on liberty and conflict. The rest of the site gives more views about the government and right of people related to security. Also, characterizing a republican leader based on Machiavelli's philosophy.

Annotated Bibliography

2010-11-08T02:43:00.002-05:00

Avery, C., & Finn, D. (1997). Bernini: genius of the Baroque, (pp. 144-149). Canada: Little, Brown & Company.

This book gives an excellent description of the Cornaro chapel. It does tend to describe The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa and the scene surrounding in a theatrical way, which tends to be up for debate with critics. It provides us with great descriptions of what Bernini had in mind when constructing the sculpture and even provides pictures of his sketches. It gives great descriptions of the chapel, helping us to visualize what we will see and where it can be located upon entering. There is an excellent colored picture of the altar.

Call, M. J. (1997). Boxing Teresa: The Counter-Reformation and Bernini’s Cornaro Chapel. Woman’s Art Journal, 18, 34-39.

This article focused more on the Cardinal Cornaro and why he chose St. Teresa for his chapel. It also provided a detailed description of what the sculpture looks like. It tries to describe it, as well as give reasoning for why it looks the way it does, which is helpful. By providing facts and information for why certain things are placed where they are in the scene, it gives me a better understanding for what Bernini’s goals were in creating this sculpture.

Encyclopedia of Irish and World Art. Gian Lorenzo Bernini: Biography of Italian Baroque Sculptor & Architect. Retrieved November 4, 2010 from http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/sculpture/bernini-giovanni.htm

This website was probably not the most reliable source to use, but it did have information that matched up with my books and articles. It had a few different sections that included Bernini’s biography, a summary of his life and his works, and a section of the Baroque period. It tended to repeat a lot of the same information over and over again though. I used this website for a better understanding of his life and how he got to become the great artist that he did.

Lubow, A. (2008, October). Bernini’s Genius. Smithsonian magazine. Retrieved November 4, 2010 from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/berninigenius.html?c=y&page=1

This magazine article, found on a website, provided a large amount of information on Bernini’s life and his development into becoming the well-known artist. It gave explanations of his great work ethic and described his long, lifetime career. It gave me honest explanations of the artist as well though, explaining how he did really want to be famous and create a legacy. It explained his integrity as an artist, as well as a great man in general. It didn’t really provide much information on the actual sculpture of The Ecstasy of St. Teresa though.

Wallace, R. (1970). The world of Bernini, (pp. 11, 153). New York: Time-Life Books.

This book gave a discrete explanation of the sculpture of The Ecstasy of St. Teresa. It also provided a large, zoomed in picture of the angel and the Saint, so you could see more detail. It has a great description of what the Baroque style really entails. I mainly used this book to form a better understanding of the Baroque art in which Bernini was known for.

Warma, S. (1984, September). Ecstasy and Vision: Two Concepts Connected with Bernini’s Teresa. The Art Bulletin, 66, 508-511.

This article provided an extremely detailed description of The Ecstasy of St. Teresa. It also provided an extensive amount of excerpts from St. Teresa’s Autobiography detailing her many characteristics of experiencing ecstasy. The article provided the very detailed description of what the whole basis of sculpture is about, her ecstatic experience with God. It gave great comparisons of what St. Teresa explains as ecstasy to how Bernini tried to portray it in his sculpture.

Wittkower, R. Bernini: the sculptor of the Roman Baroque, (pp. 158-173). Regent’s Wharf: Phaidon Press Limited.

This book provided a detailed description of many chapels and churches of the Baroque period. It definitely favors the Cornaro Chapel and compares it with other ones of that time. It does give a quick description of The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, but doesn’t go into quite as much detail as other sources. It does go into great detail about the chapel itself, and just slightly includes The Ecstasy of St. Teresa as a sort of ornamentation. It does have excellent pictures, though they are in black and white. It includes pictures of the sculpture itself, as well as an up-close picture of the angel, the Saint, the side viewing spectator boxes, and even the spectators themselves.

Annotated Bibliography

2010-11-08T01:03:00.002-05:00

Annotated Bibliography
Carr-Gomm, Sarah. Hidden Symbols in Art. New York: Rizzoli, 2001. Print.

This book is an easy-to-guide to the mythological, religious, historic, literary, and symbolic traditions which have inspired artists. This book also gives essential information on the characters, both real and imagined, whose lives and stories inspired centuries of artists-from Apollo, Zeus, and their fellow Olympian gods and goddesses to Jesus Christ, the Virgin Mary, the apostles, and the saints. It also includes fascinating feature panels, illustrated with details from great works of art, explaining how to interpret a wide range of artistic themes, from the nine Muses to the Seven Deadly Sins.

Cuzin, Jean Pierre., and Raphael. Raphael: His Life and Works. Secaucus, NJ: Chartwell, 1985. Print.

Is basically a biography of Raphael. It discusses Raphael’s childhood and education. It also talks about all of his art that he has drawn with also sketched of his earlier work.

Johnson, Geraldine A.. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. Print.

The volume provides a broad cultural and historical context for some of the Renaissance's most famous artists and works of art. It also explores forgotten aspects of Renaissance art, such as objects made for the home and women as artists and patrons. Rather than focusing on just one region, the book introduces readers to a variety of approaches to the study of Renaissance art.

Meyer-Baer, Musical Iconography in Raphael's Parnassus. "Musical Iconography in Raphael's Parnassus." The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism 8.2 (1949): 87-96. Web. 5 Nov. 2010. .

Talks about Raphael and the paintings that he does in the Vatican. She talks specifically about Mount Parnassus.

Raphael, and John Wyndham Pope-Hennessy. The Raphael Cartoons;. London: H.M.S.O., 1950. Print.

The Raphael Cartoons are seven large cartoons for tapestries, now in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, painted by the High Renaissance in 1515-16. They are showing scenes from the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles. They are the only surviving members of a set of ten cartoons commissioned by Pope Leo X for tapestries for the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican Palace.

Wolk-Simon, Linda. Raphael at the Metropolitan: the Colonna Altarpiece. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2006. Print.

This book reunites the two main panels with all the scenes from its predella. Which is platform or alter. A select group of drawings and paintings by Raphael.

Annodated Bibliography

2010-11-07T22:05:00.000-05:00

Catholic Online. “St. Clare – Saints & Angels”. Christian.com. n.d. Web. 5 November 2010. <http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=215>.

This site is a page for people of the Catholic faith. It contains local and global news, books, a prayers sections and a section that contains information about Saints and Angels. Once you go to the saint’s link, you go to saints index; there you can search alphabetically for the hundreds upon hundreds of Catholic saints. The page about St. Clare describes how she came to follow St. Francis. It also tells the story about how she prayed and saved her sisters and her city when a soldier threat surfaced.

Church History. “Institutionalizing the Franciscan Order of St. Clare”. American Society of Church History. Cambridge University Press. Vol. 69, No. 1 (Mar., 2000), pp. 41-62. Web. 5 November 2010. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/3170579>.

This Journal was about the conflict between the Friars Minor and the Franciscan nuns, the confrontation last from 1261-63. There were three different parts to the journal; The Friars Minor and the Franciscan Nuns, Conflict, Aftermath: The Sisters’ Response. I address just the first and last parts as they include the most information about St. Clare and her role in the conflict. The conflict was focused on the level of care the friars were to provide the nuns and which type of rule the nuns lived under.

Hayes, Holly. Sacred Destinations. “Basilica di Santa Chiara, Assisi”. n.d. Web. 6 November 2010. <http://www.sacred-destinations.com/italy/assisi-santa-chiara>.

This site contains links to popular, sacred religious destinations all over the world. The links are broken up alphabetically. So to find the Basilica of St. Clare you would click on Places (F-I), then (the country) Italy, then (the city) Assisi, then finally (the destination) Basilica di Santa Chiara. Here you find a bit of history about St. Clares life. Then a detailed description of the Church is included. It explains both how the church was built and more specifically what can see when visiting the church. There is also a Quick Facts section which provides helpful information such as the hours of visitation to the church.

Irvine, William B. A Guide to the Good Life. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2009. Print.

This book by William Irvine touches on the principles and techniques of Stoic philosophy. The book goes through the history of the philosophical school that was started in ancient Rome and then moves on to show how we can use the techniques of Stoicism to live better lives today. Chapter 15 on Luxury and Irvine’s description of the Cynic lifestyle both relate to the ways of the Poor Clares.

James, Rebecca. Sister Freaks: Stories of Women Who Gave Up Everything for God. New York: Time Warner Book Company, 2005. Print.

This book by Rebecca St. James is essentially a devotional book. It is divided up by weeks, with each week telling the story of a different women in history who gave up certain aspects of their lives for Christ. Each story is just a few pages long, with a passage from the Christian bible to connect the stories to the faith and ways of Jesus Christ. The story of St. Clare gave some background to her childhood. It mostly focused on her Order of Poor Clares, a group of women who gave up everything to become devote to God. The passage describes the duties of the Poor Clares, and some of St. Francis and St. Clares relationship.

Sisters of St. Clare. “St. Clare Biography”. Sisters of St Clare. 2009. Web. 6 November 2010.

<http://srsclare.com/about-us/st-clare-biography/>.

This website is the home site of the Organization Sisters of St. Clare. The organization started out as an order that St. Clare of Assisi started in the 1200’s. The site contains an “About Us” section; here you can get information about today’s current members. There are also a “Prayer Request” and “Ways to Give” links. In order to get information about St. Clare I went to the “About Us” and then to Biography. When you go to the Biography of St. Clare it tells a bit about her childhood. It then goes on to tell how she came to know St. Francis, a preacher who she admired. Then it describes the history of the Order of St. Clare.

Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. “Clare of Assisi”. 4 November 2010. Web. 5 November 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_of_Assisi>.

In order to get basic information about St. Clare, the Wikipedia online Encyclopedia provides an outline of who St. Clare was, and what she did. The contents of the page include a Biography, a brief summary on what occurred after her death, and what her legacy consists of. The site also includes sections that suggest further reading and external links. The external links are very helpful because they provide you with reliable sources in which you can obtain information on St. Clare, or related topics.

Annotated Bibliography

2010-11-07T15:16:00.008-05:00

De Nicola, Giacomo. "Duccio di Buoninsegna and His School in the Mostra di Duccio at Siena." Burlington Magazine for Connoisseurs. 22.117 (1912)

This is an article explaining Duccio’s artistic style. It goes through some of his artwork and explains what influenced the pieces. This is also where the controversy over the real painter of the Rucellai Madonna is discussed

"Duccio di Buoninsegna." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2004.

This is the encyclopedia entry for Duccio. It explains how there is little information about his life and the 2 major works of art he is known for, the Ruccellai Madonna and the Maesta.

Lubbock, Tom. "Duccio di Buoninsegna: The 'Maesta' Altarpiece." Independent 4 Jan 2008

This is a newspaper in which Lubbock describes the altarpiece. He even describes how when understanding the story portrayed on the back is similar to a comic strip. He also explains how the altarpiece being in separate sections is troublesome because it makes it easier for separate pieces to be dispersed or lost.

Sullivan, Ruth Wilkins. "Some Old Testament Themes on the Front Predella of Duccio's Maestà." Art Bulletin 68.4 (1986)

This article goes into an explanation of why the panels of the Front Predella of Maesta are significant and the reasoning for the order they are in. She also describes the use of prophets in other art work, and how the concept of following an panel representing a story with the prophet who foresaw it can be linked to the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible.

Wilkins Sullivan, Ruth. "Duccio's Raising of Lazarus Reexamined." Art Bulletin 70.2 (1988)

In this article, she explains how through the use of x-raying the altarpiece, we are able to see how Duccio worked through his piece. Also, we learn that with less traditional concepts, Duccio was a little more creative and let his imagination do the work. She also describes how the way Duccio portrays Lazarus, upright instead of laying down, shows influence from Northern art.

Annotated Bibliography

2010-11-07T08:44:00.002-05:00

Annotated Bibliography

Chapel of Pieta. St. Peter’s Basilica. 5 Nov. 2010. .
This website provides information about St. Peter’s Basilica. On one page in contains a description of the Pieta and articles, from other websites and publications from around the world, that discuss the Pieta and Michelangelo’s life and works.

Harris, Dr. Beth. “Michelangelo’s Pieta.” SmARThistory. 5 Nov. 2010. <>.
This website is a multimedia “web-book” of art history created by two art history professors who felt students were not gaining the knowledge and appreciation of art through old editions of art history books. This site provides two videos in which art professors are discussing Michelangelo’s Pieta. Their discussion is much easier to follow than websites or books because the information is heard and not read.

Hughes, Anthony. Michelangelo. London: Phaidon Press Limited, 1997.
This book provides a detailed account of Michelangelo’s life as well as colored pictures of his artworks. It is a great resource because of its in-depth explanation of his life. The author also provides a biography section where there is a short description of who the people where in Michelangelo’s life and a timeline that outlines, side-by-side, the major events in his life and the major events happening in Florence and Rome. This gives me an understanding of what political or social events were going on while he was creating certain works.

Ruehring, Lauren. “Michelangelo Sculptures.” HowStuffWorks. 1998-2010. 5 Nov. 2010. .
This website provides an article that gives a short description and background information on Michelangelo’s Florence Pieta. It also has detailed photos of the work. This site is a good resource because it gives information on the Pieta statue that is less known by the public.

Ruehring, Lauren. “Rondanini Pieta by Michelangelo.” HowStuffWorks. 1998-2010. 5 Nov. 2010. <>.
This website, like the one above, provides an article about Michelangelo’s third Pieta. It gives a small description of the work and tells the story of how Michelangelo attempted to complete this work several days before his death. This website is a good resource because it gives information on an artwork that is virtually unknown to the majority of the public.

Sala, Charles. Michelangelo. Paris: Finest S.A., 2003.
This book provides a detailed timeline of Michelangelo’s life along with discussions and descriptions of his works he created through out his life. It also gives color photos of his works and sketches. Sala’s book is a good resource because the timeline allows me to see the years that he created each work and where he was located at the time.

High Renaissance & Mannerism

2010-11-03T10:55:00.003-04:00

In Madonna of the Long Neck you can tell by observing it that the artist has created a different piece then what has been normally presented.The colors also in Parmigianino's work are more vibrant.The way the Madonna's head is positioned gives her a awkward look while the baby is completely out of proportion.The piece still uses linear perspective like artists in the renaissance used, making the audience feel as if they could step into the work. In reference to Michelangelo's later work and treatment of the body, the thighs are unnaturally large on the Madonna and with Michelangelo he gives the body a more definition and it becomes more muscular. Mannerist paintings and sculptures looks more carefree and well defined compared to Renaissance art.

Renaissance vs. Mannerism

2010-10-31T21:48:00.002-04:00

High Renaissance art was realistic and the artists tried to create naturalistic works of art and something that you would see in real life. A shift from realistic artwork to more unrealistic artwork came with the transition from the High Renaissance to the Mannerism period. Michelangelo liked to depict people in really contorted and twisted positions in his later artwork, which is unrealistic of how people would ever really be positioned. He had an influence on Mannerism because of this unrealistic way of viewing the human body. Mannerism art is unrealistic and exaggerates certain features of the human body. The Madonna of the Long Neck shows how this style is unrealistic with the way the bodies are unproportionate. The woman's neck is longer than what would be considered realistic and proportional to the rest of her body. Her body, and the body of the baby especially, seem to be extra long. The length of the baby's torso, arms and legs do not seem to fit with his head and feet. Also, the baby looks really uncomfortable the way he is positioned and twisted in her lap. To me, this idea of creating artwork to be realistic or unrealistic seems to be the biggest difference between the High Renaissance and the Mannerism period.

High Renaissance vs. Mannerism

2010-10-30T00:10:00.004-04:00

Art during the High Renaissance is that which was focused on human beings and portraying them naturally. Artists during this time began to use linear perspective by making their creations look 3-Dimensional on a 2-Dimensional surface. They were focused on the content and context of what they were creating because they wanted their work to appear as natural and real to what they were trying to depict. One piece of work that we can see this effort to create a realistic look is Michelangelo's, David. For this piece Michelangelo thought that this sculpture was going to be placed above everyone who observed it, so when he created the hand he made it bigger than normal, so that when those who looked up at the sculpture would see the hand as of normal proportion to the body. The reason that Michelangelo created the hand like that was so the body would be proportional to the rest of the body, and so the sculpture would seem natural. This is opposite of how Mannerism art worked.

Mannerism art was not always proportional. We can identify Mannerism in the Madonna of Long Neck by Mary's long neck and extra wide hips. Jesus also looks very unrealistic and un-proportional. Jesus, painted on Mary's lap, is much larger looking than an infant. Mannerism pieces seemed to go over the top of what was typical. Artists of this time would take what was normal and expected and push the limits just a little further. For example, in the Madonna of Long Neck, there is an "angel" with much of her leg exposed, which was very revealing for that time.

Mannerism works seem to be a little more exaggerated with the human body and it's positions especially. Michelangelo's art work during the Renaissance time also began to exaggerate some of the human body (especially the muscles). It wasn't until the time of Mannerism though, that Michelangelo really exaggerated the muscles of the human body.

Mannerism and High Renaissance

2010-10-29T15:23:00.008-04:00

By looking at mannerism and high renaissance artwork we can see many differences and some similarities between the two. The high renaissance style is more natural looking with natural positions and when looking at the artwork it is very inviting and pleasant to look at. An example of high renaissance art would be Raphael's Mary with Jesus. Mary is very motherly and kind looking while Jesus is very baby-like even though he has a few more muscles than a normal baby would. This shows that while high renaissance art is very naturalistic, it is not always realistic. The mannerism style is very odd looking, with the people in uncomfortable postitions and the body parts are not proportional. When looking at the artwork it gives one an awkward feeling. Paramigianina's Madonna of the Long Neck shows the odd proportions with Madonna's head being small on a very long, thin neck. Her hips are very wide in comparison to her upper body. The baby is very lengthened seeming not baby-like at all. They are similar because both styles are usually on the same subject matter.

Mannerism vs. High Renaissance

2010-10-29T08:34:00.004-04:00

Just from looking at the artwork, there is a clear difference between the High Renaissance style and the Mannerism style. The High Renaissance seems to prefer portraying the human body as naturally as possible. For example, Raphael's image of Mary with Jesus portrays them as looking natural, meaning that is what a mother and her child would look like if you saw them in real life. While the Mannerism style allows the artist to portray the body as they choose. Paramigianino's Madonna of the Long Neck is a prime example of the Mannerist style. Paramigianino lengthened the bodies of both Mary and her baby, causing them to seem almost in human. Mannerism also portrayed the body in contorted poses that would be awkward for a real person to pose in. Michelangelo's sculptures of Night and Day on the Tomb of Giuliani de' Medici show how the bodies were contorted into poses that seem unnatural.

High Renaissance vs Mannerism

2010-10-28T23:11:00.001-04:00

While looking at the Renaissance and Mannerism artwork, I can definitely notice some differences. In the High Renaissance, the artwork was highly praised for its naturalism and was very balanced and harmonious. The artists of this time period, worked very hard to make everything appear very natural, the way it would be found in the everyday world. Michelangelo even used optics for the big hands to appear a normal size in his work of David. He tried to represent every little detail and be anatomically correct, especially when the sculptures or paintings had people in odd positions. Mannerism art seems to focus more on emotions and the artistic effect rather than naturalism. The artists deliberately painted distorted positions in irrational spaces, sometimes the forms were elongated or even looked contorted. The anatomy was definitely not up to Michelangelo’s par. Whereas he was anatomically correct down to every last muscle, they used very abnormal anatomy. Mannerism also seems to use clashing colors.

Parmigianino’s Madonna of the Long Neck really represents these interpretations. She has a neck that is so elongated and unrealistic to the natural body. Mary herself is huge, she is almost twice the size of the angels to her right. The baby, Jesus, is also quite large. If you look closely, and attempted to stand him up, he would be about half the size of Mary! He also is an a very awkward position on her lap, and appears as if he could fall at any moment. The colors all appear to be very dark, with much less background.

Mannerism art seems to be exaggerating the realistic view of humans, but in my opinion, Michelangelo’s later Renaissance works seem to exaggerate real human bodies in his own way. He maintains correct anatomy, but takes it to the extreme. He makes the men’s muscles too big and bulky, and even makes the girl appear to have masculine muscles as well, which was probably not the case with the women of that age.

High Renaissance vs Mannerism

2010-10-28T16:14:00.002-04:00

Art during the high renaissance era was the rebirth of classical tradition which moved into Michelangelo’s mannerism where the artist was more focused on the form of the human body. Noticeably there was an increase in detail from making the muscles clearly defined on the body. Michelangelo had a fascination with the male body. This fascination was clearly shown through his works of art where the form of the male body was shown. Michelangelo's style even when displaying a woman’s figure, was a noticeably male form influence, like in the Sistine Chapel. In additions many of the positions of the figures were awkward and in the sense would be uncomfortable. Which seems to draw the attention of spectators more into the piece.

In the Madonna of the Long Neck, the title describes the work of art. Although there is still this naturalistic perspective about the piece, the body proportions are obviously exaggerated, from the long neck, hands, torso, and even the baby. The piece still uses linear perspective like artists in the renaissance used, making the audience feel as if they could step into the work. High renaissance was a foundation for a more expressive style of art like mannerism.

Mannerism vs. Renaissance Art

2010-10-28T12:20:00.002-04:00

Kayleigh.. well said!!

Renaissance art valued much of what we talked about in class, including naturalistic and illusionistic characteristics. Artists aimed to create what they observed, without exaggeration. Working to decieve the eye, artists played with the idea of optics in order to create illusions that would convey realistic works. An example of these illusions is the large hands that Michelangelo sculpted on David so that when viewed from the ground, the hands would appear in proportion with the rest of the body.

Mannerism appears to be less realistic. The people are more slender and their body parts are not in proportion. The artist is creating works based on the way that they want them portrayed, which seems to be more dramatic. The drama can be seen in the painting Modonna of the Long Neck. As the name implys, the woman has a long neck. The "baby" is also completely out of proportion. Michelangelo has influenced many of these works as well. He valued human anatomy and often sculpted/painted humans in contorted, uncomfortable positions, as we see in the sculptures on the Medici tomb. Body parts are elongated and exaggerated. Mannerist artists also bring more light and brightness into their works.

As Renaissance art progresses into Mannerism it seems as though the artist is beginning to gain more control over their own works. As exemplified through Michelangelo's works on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, artists did not always want to create works that were realistic.

High Renaissance/Mannerism

2010-10-28T10:10:00.004-04:00

In Madonna of the Long Neck one can tell simply by looking at it that the artist has created his own reality and did not paint what he saw exactly. The colors also in Parmigianino's work are more vibrant. The way the Madonna's head is positioned gives her a regal pose but the child on her lap just plain looks freaky! On both the child and the Madonna the torso is elongated causing the child to look older than a child that would still not have hair. In reference to Michelangelo's later work and treatment of the body, the thighs are unnaturally large on the Madonna. Mannerist works also look more carefree and whimsical compared to Renaissance art.

High Renaissance & Mannerism

2010-10-27T20:45:00.000-04:00

High Renaissance art was very realistic, the goal of artist during this time was to create a naturalistic view of the human body. I also feel that during the time of the high renaissance brighter colors were used, in comparison to the Mannerism period where i feel the colors were much duller. Mannerism was NOT reality, although paintings, etc. were still "realistic" they were known for portraying bigger bodies and bodies that were disproporationate, for example longer necks and legs. I also noticed that the period of Mannerism paid attention to decoration more so then the High Renaissance, jerwely and gems, etc. were portrayed more in the works of art.

Mannerism & High Renaissance

2010-10-27T17:47:00.003-04:00

The art that was created during the High Renaissance focused on reviving and improving the Classical principals, creating a naturalistic view of the human body and the importance of an educated artist. Works such as David were meant to show the Classical image of the body and told a Classical story in a new way. Several art works, including School of Athens by Raphael and Venus of Urbino by Titian, presented the topic of depicting the nude human body in a naturalistic light. During this time, it was also important for artist to know what had come before them, so they could produce it better.

As the times changed so did the art work and after the High Renaissance came the movement known as Mannerism. This movement focused on elongated and disproportionate bodies, contortion the body into twisted positions and the value of technical expertise. The painting of Madonna of the Long Neck by Parmigianino is a perfect example of Mannerism art. Madonna and child are both depicted with suck disproportion that the audience wonders how the baby stays on her lap. The ladies that surround her as well have such elongated legs that they become a distraction.

During both movements Michelangelo was a working artist who really flowed into this change with his works. The Sistine Chapel is a great example of the values that the High Renaissance art possessed. As as artist he would have to be educated in religion, philosophy and what other artist before him did in order to create the images and stories from the Bible onto the ceiling. He was also so interested in the male nude body that he constantly tried to rework and recreate positions that the body could be presented in. As time went on he took this passion for the body and really pushed it into a whole new level during Mannerism. In his Night and Day sculptures he "beefs up" the body so that one can see all the muscles, puts the body into these twisted and unrealistic positions and elongated certain body parts so that they become disproportionate.

These two movements truly valued very different aspects of art and art making but both valued a sense of artistic expertise and knoweldge of other artist and historical and biblical events.

2010-10-27T16:11:00.003-04:00

High Renaissance and Mannerism

Looking at the two artworks of the Madonna of the Long Neck the main difference I picked out was that the woman was sitting up taller in the Mannerism work and in the one by Michelangelo the woman seems to be hunched over a bit.In the Parmigianino the woman is clearly pushing her neck up farther. The same situation with the pictures by Titian and Correggio. In the painting done by Titian, the woman is laying on the bed and then in the Correggio painting the woman is sitting more upright. Also, dealing with the same paintings, I noticed more people in the mannerism painting than in the high renaissance painting. Finally, the colors look to be brighter in the mannerism paintings than in the high renaissance ones. They use the same sorts of colors, but I think they are brighter.

The portraits done by Bronzino I thought looked more real and life like compared to the renaissance portraits. There is more detail and color in the mannerism portraits.

The similarities between the two paintings are again the same types of colors are used in the paintings. I can definitely see the influence by Michelangelo. In my opinion they both have the same feelings conveyed. When it comes to the treatment of the bodies I did not see as much of a muscular body type in the men in the pictures in the PowerPoint. In the mannerism paintings there was more clothing on people and the women looked to be painted the same or at least very similar to the high renaissance period.

Lisa Shoemaker

Michelangelo and the development of Mannerism

2010-10-27T14:40:00.002-04:00

The powerpoint images we looked at during the end of class today (Wed.) are up on blackboard. Look at, in particular, the Madonna of the Long Neck and discuss its similarities and differences to Renaissance art. Do you see references to the later work of Michelangelo, especially his treatment of the body?

Art Then & Now

2010-10-27T01:09:00.004-04:00

There are more differences when comparing Renaissance Art with Modern Art.

Renaissance Art was more concerned with secular life, and interest in humanism. Most of the artist from the Renaissance Era painted frescos or built sculptures from people from the Bible. In modern times, artist usually paint and build sculptures of what come to their mind or how they are feeling that day. During the Renaissance period artists began to explore the world and the human body while using the new perspective to reflect it realistically. In modern art, artists use shapes and blotches that too them look beautiful in an artistic way. Back in the Renaissance Era artists took their time to complete their work and the people praised them for that. In modern world, some artist may rush to complete the piece on the deadline. In class we talked about how knowledgeable students had to be about works of art in the Renaissance Era. For artists, that means they had to do even more research of the piece they were painting. For example Da Vinci, when he painted the Last Supper. He had to know his material before painting the picture. In Modern times, artist do not really have a reason to why they are painting that peice or do any research for that piece, they just want the beauty and the value.

2010-10-25T19:01:00.002-04:00

I am definitely not an expert in the field of art, however I think the status symbol of art is still the same as during the Renaissance. Artwork from respected artists is something that is expensive and to have the ability to pay for a piece of artwork shows a higher class standing. For example, when considering architecture a building with more artwork rather than a building made simply from concrete gives a feeling of higher importance. Also, take a stroll downtown in the Short North through the galleries. The paintings and artwork are very expensive and the ability to own this artwork would prove your high social class.
As for artists, I believe they are treated very differently from Renaissance artists. As many of you have already said I could not name a single current artist, however could pull out 3 or 4 names of Renaissance artists and not simply because I am taking the course. Their names are remembered after all these years, whereas present day artists struggle to get their names heard. I also believe that artists now have more say in the piece they are making. The contract we read in class was extremely strict and required the artist to pay up front for their supplies and if the buyer did not like the finished product they had the right to reject it and pay for nothing. I think now artists have more control in the artwork they are making.

Contemporary art vs. Renaissance art

2010-10-24T22:32:00.005-04:00

I think that it is somewhat difficult to compare the art of today, to the art of the renaissance. In my opinion, art of the renaissance set the standard and basics for what art should mean and even how it is made. I think that European art and artists during the renaissance are like the "founding fathers" of art and architecture. The artists of the renaissance brought to life different paintings by creating/discovering things like illusionism, shadowing, and linear perspective. These artists pushed the boundaries sometimes of what was acceptable and what was not. Art and architecture during the renaissance often represented a person's status and rank in society. For one to have a pictured painted or drawn of him or her meant that he or she were of a higher status in society. This is still somewhat equivalent of how it is today, only because it can sometimes be pricey. Although, in the United States it is not as difficult as it would have been to receive this treatment during renaissance times.

Architecture during the renaissance also represented a lot of different things for the culture and individually. For an individual to create or have created a large piece of work, often meant that that person had power. Today, buildings and architecture in the United States seem to more often be created for a particular city, rather than for that individual. Or at least the creator is not as well recognized as some of the emperors of the renaissance.

I do not feel that I am all that knowledgeable of art of this time in the United States as some people, but I also do not think that I am much different from the general public. I think that in the United States, art and architecture is not as widely know to the general population as it was during the renaissance. The art during the renaissance would very often have symbolic meanings behind them, whereas, today the art of the United States seems to fall short of how much art meant to those during the renaissance. I believe that art and architecture of the United States still has meaning and value behind it, but just not as much as art during the renaissance. Sometimes I feel that art during the renaissance is more real that contemporary art because artists long ago had less to work with, but yet they set such a high standard for those to follow after them. Artists like Leonard da Vinci will forever be known to most people, whereas, it would be very difficult for me to name a contemporary artist in the United States at this time. I do not have anything against contemporary artists, or think that they do not create good quality work, I just think that they are not as widely publicized as some artists like musicians.

Role of Art

2010-10-24T20:49:00.004-04:00

Renaissance art will always stand alone in function and purpose. Of course it was a catalyst for artistic method and style. It was a period that provided the advancement that the art world had long needed. Paintings gained depth from the discovery of linear perspective and other visual cue techniques. Sculptures returned to a Roman naturalistic style, bringing more life to all the figures. And architecture moved from Gothic styles back to Romanesque, with rounded arcades and a more horizontal orientational. Overall, architecture was more simplified and restrained.

As for the role of Renaissance art, there are several. First and foremost, the architecture seemed more practical. It served a more general purpose. Paintings were more for a specific population, that is, usually a work commissioned by a family for their home or church. Artists did not paint just to sell or hang their works in a museum. Sculptures, however, were both for the populous and for specific persons/families. Statues were erected in public forums, like those in ancient Rome. But statues and other sculptures were also made for specific churches or households.

As for art in today's society, architecture is still very practical and mostly simplified. Architecture is hard to compare because we do not view it the same as art it was in the Renaissance. Our architecture is meant mostly to serve a purpose or function, not necessarily to decorate an area. However, in recent years there has been a resurgence in designing extravagant buildings, but mostly in cities like Hong Kong, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. So the practice is not dead entirely, and perhaps its being revived.

Modern attitude towards paintings is mostly for artists to create works for others to buy. Not often are artists commissioned to do work. It's mostly a freelance trade, and each artists is hoping to be recognized for his/her talents by hanging their works in galleries. Most of the art that we use for personal collections, however, are art replicas, or prints of famous paintings. There is also a desire for what I like to call "feel good" art, which are replica paintings of artists like Thomas Kinkade. Much like van Meegeren's forgeries, there is aesthetic value(1), but the art is not worth anything. This is vastly different from the Renaissance art, which was original, and not only had aesthetic value but also value because of the artistic merit.

Sculptures are still used in similar ways, and viewed similarly as well. It's not uncommon for a city to commission a sculpture to honor a former president, other political figure, war heroes, or even local heroes. Public statues in modern era and the Renaissance served a very similar purpose. Abstract art, however, has emerged to be a another means of public art. The use of abstract art to decorate empty space in a forum was unheard of in the Renaissance, mostly because the technique wasn't around. But today we often find abstract art to be pleasing and appropriate to fill empty space. It accents our environment and serves similar purpose as the statues the modern and Renaissance era.

One major difference in art today from the Renaissance is the use of public art in general. It may not be completely recognizable to those who do not have the proper sensitivities to art, but public art is a major part the current art culture. Artists like Banksy use public art as a way to speak out against propaganda. Other artists like Maya Lin use it as a way to make a name, and like the use of statues, use it to honor war heroes . And then artists like Richard Sierra, who are world renowned, are commissioned to create public works because of their name.

Art still serves similar roles today, and it forever will as long as it is meant to be enjoyed and viewed by mass amounts of people. Artists do not want their works kept quiet. They are mostly proud of their abilities and recognition if the best thing for their careers. They want to create works that will garner income for them, after all, hasn't that always been the goal of artists. It may be something one loves to do, but anyone who has no career besides art needs it to be a source of income. Renaissance art stands alone in its purpose because of the change it brought to the art world. But as long as the public finds value in artistic ability, arts most fundamental purpose will always remain the same.

(1) I am not comparing Kinkade's artistic ability to Vermeer's, just the similarity that to some extent Kinkade has aesthetic value.

Role of art in the Renaissance vs. today

2010-10-23T20:12:00.003-04:00

When I think about famous artists the first names that pop into my head are artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael. I honestly couldn't tell you the names of any famous artists in the United States today. But, in general, I would say that there are more differences than similarities between today's art and artists and the art and artists from the Renaissance period. I feel like when someone is very famous and renowned for a talent that they have, they will be well-known even by those who aren't familiar in that specific area. I am not familiar with the art in today's society, and in no way would I consider myself to be extremely knowledgeable in the subject of art throughout different time periods. But, I think that the fact that the artists from the Renaissance period are a lot more familiar to me than artists today says a lot about the changing roles that artists have in society.
I think that one of the biggest differences between artists from the Renaissance and artists today is the way people perceive them. A long time ago I feel like artists were praised for their work and treated like celebrities, and today that is not the case. Today I don't think there is as big of a demand for art, and the job market for artists isn't that extensive. I think that it is easier for people to be able to create artwork today and at a more efficient rate. But, even though this may be true I've taken art classes before, and drawing and painting are not as easy as some people think. It takes a very creative and talented person to be a good artist. In the time period of the Renaissance there were certain professions, like being an artist for example, and if a person was a talented enough artist, it most likely would have led to a very successful and famous career. But today people view other careers like singers, movie stars and professional athletes to be more worthy of fame. I do not necessarily agree with this outlook, but I do think that it is one of the biggest differences between the way people view art and artists in today's society and the way people viewed art and artists in the Renaissance.

art-Melissa

2010-10-23T19:59:00.000-04:00

Although some of us may enjoy certain arts such as painting, sculpting, or photography, it is not given the respect that it once was during time periods such as during Medieval and Renaissance Italy.

During these historical periods, art was a symbol of power and status. Only the middle and upper classes held positions that enabled them to commission and/or own works of art. Most of the art created during the medieval time period was purely religious oriented, and was therefore displayed particularly in churches, where the majority of people attended regularly. During the Renaissance, art began to transform into a more secular focus, with an emphasis on the idea of “the here and now” rather than the focus on religion. However, art remained a luxury of the middle and upper classes. Works of art could be interpreted different ways based on your educational background, but the thought was that in order to fully appreciate art, the viewer must be educated. The same idea applied to the artist as well. Artists were required to be well educated in many different subject areas such as theology and mythology. Overall, artists were regarded and intelligent, well-respected individuals. The works they created told stories and often had multiple story lines intertwined in them.

Today, artists are not as prevalent in society. Because art is not in my realm of study directly, I am not knowledgeable whatsoever in the area of contemporary art. Although I enjoy art and am interested in furthering my understanding of art, I simply do not have enough time to devote to this area. Society’s focus has shifted away from it’s emphasis on art for education’s sake and more toward art as form of marketing, or entertainment. Art is seen in museums, on billboards, and in advertisements all over the place. In this light, artists are not appreciated as they once were for their talents and innovative art forms.

It will be interesting as we travel to Italy to view these works we have discussed and think about the ways in which they impacted society then as compared to how art impacts society today.

Renaissance era vs U.S today

2010-10-22T23:50:00.002-04:00

I think there are some similarities but more differences in comparing art during the Renaissance era and art today in the U.S. Renaissance art was a start to heading to more modern artwork with the use of illusionism and linear perspective. This shift in art is a huge influence on art today. Yet art today is so technologically advance. Today we have digital art that has been modified or edited by a computer/software program. Most art today is not just created by the artist itself but through technology advances has changed the approach. It use to take years for renaissance artist to actually finish their works of art, one reason being it took greater amount of time to import certain supplies needed. Today it can either be created on the computer at a fast pace or if actually using paints the supplies can be quickly shipped.

I feel also that art today is a lot broader in the messages artist try to portray. In the U.S we have the idea of free speech, yet during the Renaissance era artist were able to go against society’s principles but it wasn’t supported as it is today. I also believe that artist in Renaissance were more respected than in our society today and maybe that’s because people today can easily attain the resources rather than the renaissance artists.

Renaissance Art Differences

2010-10-22T15:23:00.006-04:00

I think there are a lot of differences between Renaissance art and artists and art and artists now.
During the Renaissance art was mostly for religious purposes and painted on the walls of buildings. So the paintings were in churches, telling a story from the bible, and including characters from religion. Now paintings and sculptures are of anything, whether it is shapes or lots of different colors. The paintings and sculptures were usuallly of people, including portraits and scenes. Art work was usually commissioned instead of painted just because the artist felt like it. It seems to me that the buildings were constructed to serve a purpose and be beautiful and interesting. I think buildings now are just built to serve a purpose and they are not particularly nice to look at.
I also think artists are not as well known and respected today as they were during the Renaissance. If you were an artist during the Renaissance then everyone in the community knew you and everyone had heard of your work. Now not everyone cares as much about art so the artists and artwork are not remembered as well.
I do think art from the Renaissance and today are similar in the fact that they are constantly changing and breaking boundaries.

2010-10-22T10:05:00.000-04:00

The similarity that between Renaissance artists and today’s artists is that in class we talked about how Brunelleschi built The Dome based on the Pantheon and his time spent in Rome. I think that today when it comes to our buildings we tend to use past architecture and even art to create today’s arts. Another similarity is that having a work of art or has an artist paint a painting for you now and then was for those who are wealthy. Art is always changing and that’s a similarity between the two.
There are more differences then similarities. One is that art is not appreciated as much now as it was during the Renaissance. Not saying that no one appreciates art, but I think that it’s not appreciated as much. During the Renaissance it was considered a gift and today people look at art as their property. Not many people think about how much work goes into making the artwork and can take it for granted. Also, there are differences in technology and what people can do with technology to make pieces of art. We have a different idea of what is considered art. Artists in the Renaissance were told precisely what to paint and if it wasn’t done the way the man in charge wanted it done they would pay less. Today it’s more of people paint what they want to paint and it’s either you like it or not.

Art then & now

2010-10-22T09:12:00.003-04:00

After studying the changing artist in Renaissance times, I think there are few similarities and differences between them and the modern artists today.

One main similarity is the changing aspect of both types of artist. The artist's position in society was changing during the Renaissance. Artist became a part of a higher, more respectable class than before. Today the position of the artist is changing from someone who not only creates art but brings to the forefront ideas and criticism of the world around them through their art. Another similarity is that both artist types were pushing boundaries brought on by society. In the Renaissance the artist were branching out and beginning to chose their own subject matter and paint to their standards and choices. Today artist are pushing the boundaries of creativity and trying to find new ways to express old ideas.

In the Renaissance, the artists were creating art for the patron and sometimes could add their own artistic touch and display their talents, if the patron allowed. Many of the artist had to sign contracts and stick to the guidelines put down by the patron. This concept of art has completely changed for the artist today. Art now is produced because the artist has some concept or idea to get across to an audience, they are not bound by patrons but rather have the freedom to create art as they please. This is the biggest difference, artist then were restricted to patron subject matter, where now artist are restricted only through government policies and gallery standards. However, even then artist today can always find somewhere or someone to accept their art and ideas. Another big difference is how people during the time accept the art. During the Renaissance, artist were praised for their talent and skills, today artist are still recgonized for their talent but they are also judged on their ideas and how different the art is compared to other artist in their genre.

Art then and now

2010-10-22T08:40:00.001-04:00

One of the things I think is extremely different between art then and art now is how much easier it has become to create art. Back then it took months/years to create a masterpiece and the amount of detail was extraordinary. For example Ghirlandaio took 30 months to create a piece of commissioned art, now it can still take that long for someone now a days to complete art but we now have the capability to complete art in much shorter a time period. We dont have to make our own pigments now and we also have cameras and digital photography and other such things that make art easier for all to do. Along with art being more accessible and easier to do another thing that has changed is our appreciation of art. Back then I do not think Jackson Pollock would be appreciated as an artist. Now we have many different styles that are appreciated and considered art that back in the Renaissance would have probably been looked down upon.

Art Then & Now

2010-10-22T01:09:00.003-04:00

One thing that really struck me yesterday in class was the amount of time allotted for Domenico Ghirlandaio to paint the Adoration of the Magi...30 months! As a student of art, I can't imagine ever spending that much time on one painting. An artist today could create an entire body of art for an exhibition in that amount of time. We are living in an era where everything is convenient and fast and artists today don't have the patience to create works of art that they once did. I even question how often Ghirlandaio was working on this piece for it to take him that long, but when you look at the detail in the image and think of how in depth the processes of painting were it starts to make sense. Now that paints come readily available in tubes, who would purchase minerals and grind them into powders to create paints? I believe that artists now have so much more freedom of creativity than the Renaissance artists did because times have changed and there are things that are more acceptable in today's society; but also because Renaissance artists were mostly limited in what they could paint by who would commission them. At the same time, I think that Renaissance artists may have been much more knowledgeable of a variety of subjects like math, science, literature and religion.