Today in my Central European Literature class, Pedro surprised us all by taking us to the grand Medici exhibit in the Museum of Fine Arts instead of talking about Dante's Inferno. I was beyond gleeful to tell true.
The exhibit was amazing! In it was Italian Renaissance art from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. It included all the greats, DaVinci, Botticelli, Raphael, and even some Michaelangelo, not to mention other greats. Pedro took us so we could really understand the lifestyle Dante was used to before he was sent into exile.
I loved all the art. There were tapestries, portraits, coat-of-arms, I even saw the DaVinci painting "Female Head known as 'La Scapigliata'" from Ever After. I nearly cried when I saw it, two inches from my face. She was absolutely beautiful, the woman in the painting. But my favorite
was Botticelli's "Pallas and the Centaur." It was amazing, and ten feet tall. What astounded me most was how sad both of them looked. Pallas looked so guilty and regretful, and her counterpart looked as if he had stepped into hell. It was a beautiful portrayal of human souls and the consequences of actions. Those renaissance men really knew what they were doing.
I was especially interested in the fact that all the pictures of the Virgin Mary had her looking down, away from Jesus. I don't understand why she is looking down away from her son. Some of the pictures even had her face seem sad and remorseful. I'm not very familiar with much theology, but if anyone knows why, I'm keen to learn.
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3 comments:
That sounds like one of the most enjoyable classes! It's terrific when class turns out to be a really useful field trip. A lovely surprise :)
Your writing about such moving art was moving itself Seren! I almost felt like i was there with you!
Thanks! i love you and miss you so much and am glad you feel at home in your apt!
seren! in art history we're learning that during the renaissance the connection between the virgin mary and baby jesus is very important, so you will sometimes see paintings when they are looking right into each other's eyes, but also you will see, as you said, one's where she is looking away. often, this is an allusion to the crucifixion and foreshadows jesus's death. *nod nod*
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