The Art in Uffizi

---

The past couple of days have been so informative and I have learned so much. It was nice to have the walking tour with Antonio on Monday because it gave me an even greater perspective on the city of Florence. I love how most of the buildings that were built in the 1200’s is still standing and are being used today. This shows how much the city appreciates their own history. These are things you don’t see much of in America. Listening to Antonio talk about the rich history of Florence, it is easy to see that the people have great pride in their city and cherish their history very much. It makes me wish I had some Italian blood in my genes. Antonio spoke on the importance of self reflection and how it has been an important value for many years. Most of the art in the renaissance period were about new ideals, and breaking the mold, and standing out. This is how I feel like people of Florence are in their every day lives today. Since I’ve been here, I have noticed how much creativity and detail goes into not only the art but the city itself. The store window displays, the hanging lights, the style of dress, the buildings and even the building décor is very detailed and has high importance. Everything in Italy has a purpose beyond whatever it is actually used for. For example, the Medici House by our school, has so much purpose and history but it is still being used today to educate. I think this is what makes the city even more special.

Visiting the Uffizi Gallery today was something I will never forget. Seeing the paintings that great artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci created was truly breathtaking. Professor Butler was such an amazing tour guide, she was in depth and detailed with the information about every painting or sculpture shown to us. I could not believe how vivid the colors were in the paintings. The detailing of the pictures and the meaning behind each detail was so incredible to me. The fact that certain body movements and poses had meaning behind them was inspiring to me. It was inspiring to me because it made me think about the creativity, the thought and planning that went behind each object painted. The paintings alone show how passionate the artists were about their work. Every time I would learn about these certain artists in grade school, or even paintings from this time I would not be as engaged or interested. But, actually being able to see these real art works with the naked eye is unbelievable. My appreciation for not only the art but the time period has grown as well. My favorite painting that I saw today was definitely the ‘Doni Tondo’ by Michelangelo Buonarroti. I was absolutely captivated by the colors, and the image it was portraying. You could thoroughly see the thought and planning that went into this painting. Not only just in the painting but the frame surrounding the painting as well. I loved learning how Michelangelo helped to design the frame. The frame was so unique and I loved how the design incorporated the different figures around the frame. The placement of the different figures was even thought out thoroughly. The figures were Jesus Christ at the center, overlooking the painting, and two of his prophets along with two angels. I think about how much detail and work that was put into this painting and that it was all done by hand. It makes me appreciate this art and all of the other historic pieces in Firenze.

When I go home, I can’t wait to share with all of my family and friends the history and the emphasis that is put into the art in Italy. Art in Italy is viewed at a very high standard and of importance. They see it as a way of telling a story and not just decoration. It also goes to show how important creativity is to them. These are values are not as important in America as they are in Italy. I can’t wait to tell them all about the detail and history that is put into each piece and the stories behind them. Showing my friends and family the pictures that I’ve taken from Uffizi today and explaining the meaning of art from a European perspective will help to enhance their knowledge and appreciation as well.



Participating in these walking tours through the museums and the city have already made such an impact and have made the Firenze experience even richer! I can’t wait to learn more about the history of the city. Seeing all the paintings at the Uffizi today has totally changed my outlook completely on art in general in such a positive way. I will never think the same about art or the history behind it ever again.

---