Dear Everyone,
The Professor enjoys museums. One could argue that he enjoys them too much …
Setting aside the romantic aspects of museums, I’d like to focus on a few treasures from two of my favourites.
The first is the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence. They have one of the finest collections of Italian Renaissance art in the world, as well as a collection of Dutch and Flemish masters. The contrast between the two kinds of artwork is striking, almost jarring.
My favourite room in the Uffizi is the Sandro Botticelli room. (You can read a previous post of mine on Botticelli’s illustrations of Dante’s Divine Comedy here.) One of my favourite paintings is Botticelli’s Primavera.
However, there are two other works in the Uffizi that fascinate me. First, Filippo Lippi’s Madonna with Child and Two Angels, which is mentioned in Gabriel’s Inferno (You can read about it here.)
Second, the Annunciation by Leonardo da Vinci. (You can view a stunning image of it here.)
Another favourite museum of mine is the Prado in Madrid. There’s an extensive Spanish collection here, of course, with many European masterpieces.
Let me draw your attention to three of my favourites. First, Francisco de Goya’s moving and dramatic The Third of May 1808.
In the age of the internet, one doesn’t need to travel in order to visit the great museums of the world. Both the Uffizi and the Prado have websites that offer virtual tours. The Web Gallery of Art offers a searchable database of images, if you have a particular piece in mind and you want to know to which museum it belongs.
I also want to recommend the television series “Museum Secrets,” which goes behind the scenes at major museums. Their programs and their secrets are fascinating.
I’ll be posting about other museums later this week. You can also follow me on Twitter.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
I am honoured to have had all three of my novels appear on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists. I was a Semifinalist for Best Author in the 2011 and 2012 Goodreads Choice Awards. {
Visited the Uffizi for the first time this summer. Spent a long time just gazing. And yes, that room with Primavera on one wall and Birth of Venus on the other… The Annunciation by da Vincini did me in. Something about the hands — they’re not quite right, but perfect at the same time…
Thanks for this post, SR.
I was lucky enough to be able to visit both Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence and the Prado in Spain. They are wonderful museums, indeed. The works of art you mentioned are truly striking, especially if seen up, close and personal ( within the limits of museum laws of course 😉 ) I remember admiring Botticelli’s Primavera as well as the Birth of Venus and thinking how many hours of hard work and how much talent were needed to craft those masterpieces.
The Prado also leaves a mark on you, when you visit. Truly marvelous.
Another museum I’m fond of is the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna ( I’d like to mention that it also has an excellent restaurant/coffee bar. I ate the most delicious Sachertorte there 😉 )
Looking forward to next post.
Hope you have a good day,
Elena
I’ve studied some of these art pieces, on one of my classes. I enjoyed it very much.
Thank you, as usual, for your words.
Besos.
LisbethTejada
Dear SR,
I so enjoyed your post about these museums!
As you know, I had the opportunity to experience the Uffizi Gallery last October. My favorite spot in the gallery and the one that left the most impression on me was the Botticelli room. It was a life changing experience for me and one I will never forget. I must also mention the Accedemia Gallery in Florence,where stands Michangelo’s David. I could barely drag myself away….breath-taking.
Thank you again,SR, for reminding us that our culture still has much beauty and meaning expressed through its art. We only have to reach out to it.
Wishing that the joy you send to others through your writing reflects back to you!
Holly
Heaven
Ly
Bluedaizy
Thanks everyone for your comments and thanks for reading.
All the best,
SR
I hope I get to travel to these museums some day!
Museum of the Prado is one of my favourites places to visit. I´m very lucky to live near it, about twenty minutes walk. My favorite painting above all is The Garden of Earthly Delights by El Bosco.In fact, a small reproduction of the left panel of triptych dedicated to Paradise, chaired my room.I hope to visit Italy this summer, Galleria degli Uffizi is one of my main objectives. Thanks for sharing your likes and recommendations. All the best. Ana
Love the museums, thanks for sharing.