Thursday 27 May 2010

Promise this is the last holiday snap!


I don't want to become boring about our holiday - and there is plenty going on on the farm at present with more heifers and sheep and lambs arriving - but before I move on I must just show you this fabulous photograph.

In the far-off days when I did a degree in Renaissance art I would have given my eye-teeth to be able to afford to go to Florence and the other cities associated with that period - but money was short and I had to read about the art in books.

Since then I have been to Venice and Florence several times and really been blown away by it all - particular favourites being the Botticelli 'Primavera', which remains my favourite painting and the Donatello David, which shows him in pastoral mode rather than the big, strong MichaelAngelo version. But I had never been to Arezzo!


It was here, in the choir of the church of San Francesco that Piero della Francesca painted his most wonderful frescoes. His home town of San Sepolcro was only just down the road. His work - The Legend of the Holy Cross - adorns the walls of the choir. The colours are rich and sumptuous and sing out as much as they did in the 1450's when they were applied to the walls.

For me, seeing them (and there were only six people in the church at the time, not the huge crowds of Florence) was one of the highlights of my holiday.

His use of the new ideas of perspective, his tremendous use of rich colour and - above all - his portrayal of every face as a different person, was breath-taking.

So dear blog friends I will give you one tiny taste - this is a portrayal of the city of Jerusalem at the time of the crucifiction; but in actual fact he has chosen to show it as the city of Arezzo just outside the door of the church where he was working.

There is a piece of textile art lurking in that photograph if ever I saw one. My mind is working of ways of doing it - so any textile people out there - if you can give me any tips on how to get going on it, I would appreciate it.

In the meantime, marvel at the brightness, and above all the 'modernity' because don't you think it could have been painted yesterday?

20 comments:

EB said...

Thank you for bringing this back for us - not that it moved, and not that we're anywhere all together. I also remember frescoes as a treasured highlight, of when I went to Padua. The feeling of being surrounded by them, going high up on so many sides; the narrative spread around me as though I was within a picture book.

Spider42 said...

wow, very nice post and thanks, once can never know too much.
as a history buff who has only had a chance to touch the tip of the iceberg in terms of visiting places in europe (or anywhere for that matter) and has loads to see, posts like yours really help know whats what outside of tourist books.
cheers..

Anonymous said...

I love your holiday snaps!
Publish more soon.
I agree. I studied the renaissance long before I went to Florence
and then suddenly everything fell into place!

steven said...

weaver - no no - post more snaps please. i love della francesca's work and have done so for more than half my life. you lucky lucky lady!! steven

Maggi said...

Don't let this be the last one, we are not tired of the wonderful photos. This one really does have a terrific contemporary feel to it.

Teresa said...

It's a wonderful work. The colors are so rich and harmonious. Thanks for sharing!

Caroline Gill said...

Yes, Weaver, the artwork is sublime - and modern.

In fact, it reminds me of one of my favorite contemporary artists, Richard Tuff, who works in Cornwall, Tuscany and the Mediterranean. You can see an example here: here - and others here.

Curiously a friend has just sent me a postcard from Jordan of the Madaba map of Jerusalem, dating to the 6th century.

And finally, closer to home, I have just posted on Gwbert and Mwnt here... (& thought of you).

Dave King said...

There's no fear of you boring anyone with posts like that! Bung up as many as you please!

mic_comte said...

Great painter Piero della Francesca.

Pondside said...

It does, indeed, look like it might have been done in this decade - so fresh, so 'now'.

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

It's beautiful.
You can post about this holiday as long as you wish. I am loving it!

Heather said...

What a wonderful fresco Pat - no wonder you love it so. I am writing this in Glastonbury and indulging myself in all things medieval and mysterious. Before I came away I couldn't get your blog at all - I think there was a glitch of some kind - and was very worried about your sudden 'disappearance'. So glad to have found you again and that you have had a wonderful holiday.

Jinksy said...

That's an absolute joy - I can see how it would translate into a sumptuous, fabric wall hanging. Have fun playing!

Michala Gyetvai (Kayla coo) said...

Yes this would indeed look wonderful as a textile art piece.
Perhaps using water colours and inks on fabric with stitch.
I can only dream about the places you have visited, thank you for sharing. xx

Penny said...

This is lovely. I think you could translate this into fabric using fusible web and fusing fabric and shapes to a background. If you want more info I can happily give them to you.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

I'll never tire of your travel photos. Or your experiences. Opens the world to everyone.

The Weaver of Grass said...

Glad you all liked the photograph. Thank you to those who suggested textile work - shall be contacting you for ideas.

Golden West said...

So glad you've had such a wonderful trip away, Weaver. It makes being home again all the more pleasant, doesn't it? I've thoroughly enjoyed your vacation photographs and hope you'll be posting more and more - thanks for taking us along!

Golden West said...

Hi weaver,

To answer you question about the color of the ocean, yes on that day, it really was that blue! Those pictures were just as they came out of the camera. Sometimes the water is a dark navy blue, other times more of a turquoise - it changes constantly depending on the cloud cover, amount of sunshine... In summer we get some green water, but never anything like the Caribbean.

Welcome home! I always enjoy your at home pictures and journies through your local countryside.

Kim Palmer said...

A magnificent work of art and it looks so vibrant after all this time! How nice to be able to get a more personal feel for the work without the jostling crowds. This is probably so much more what the artist intended. I think it would translate to fabric well Pat. You could look at paints or inks to add detail to the piece and make up a quilt in this fashion. Oh and post more pics please! I love living vicariously through others travels if I can't get there myself, LOL!