Weird Italy

 

The Santa Maria Novella in Florence. The first of many churches on our trip.

The light quality in the novella does not disappoint.

 

The Vatican communicated its message through a combination of hypnosis and laser based technology.

The baptistery ceiling in Florence. From the bottom to the top, hell to heaven.

The ascension to heaven on Brunelleshi’s dome. Effectively converting non-believers since 1436.

A particularly accurate lion statue.

Bonus sketch from Spain, a much less focused 3-day trip taken outside of the study abroad program.

Bring me Saint John the Baptist’s head on a silver platter! (An image on a silver alter does just as well.)

The view from our seat next to Michelangelo’s David.

David’s best asset.

A particularly rude statue at the Uffizi gallery.

Titian’s Saint Margaret, my favorite painting at the Uffizi.

Lorenzo Ghilberti’s large ornate doors.

A sketch of some street art on view in Florence and a stub from the wonderful Bill Viola show.

Wax brains from Florence

Anatomical wax figures aren’t terribly different from the real thing.

 

A quick reference sketch from a menacing looking statue.

Hello Venice! San Marco square.

View from the dungeons of the Doge’s palace.

Renaissance gossip hole. (Insert secrets here).

Savonarola depicted as Saint Peter (A testament to a humble art burner.)

“Mass tourism is pushing the locals out of Venice”.

Venezuela pavilion at the Venice Biennale

Experiences in Venice in collage.

Korean pavilion, an equation in time on the cost of living.

Japanese pavilion and a surprised guest.

The Swedish pavilion has a healthy sense of humor.

Marc Bradford’s beehive.

Damien Hirst’s Wreck of the Unbelievable. A highly controversial show.

Argentina’s contribution to the Venice Biennial.

Relaxation tent

A quick selfie (sort of).

A true Italian beefcake observing a couple hand in hand.

A not so subtle communist hang out.

Hello Rome! Casual ancient ruins and blinding sunshine.

A sculpture that truly captures the essence of beauty (eat your heart out Bernini).

Innards of the pantheon.

Leopard hunt in roman mosaic.

The famous Capitoline wolf in all her glory.

A sketch of the beauty.

A Bernini “sketch”.

A beautifully sculpted Bernini.

An erratic festival sketch of the lamb of god.

Food and wine holes in ancient Pompeii, the last stop on our travels.