I wish I could write more about it, but I was inside for literally two minutes, tops, took a picture, then was hastily escorted out.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Scuola di San Rocco
This is the one picture I took in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, before I got yelled at about no photography inside. It was also closing, so I couldn't get any info on the place either, but I found this: http://www.scuolagrandesanrocco.it/
I wish I could write more about it, but I was inside for literally two minutes, tops, took a picture, then was hastily escorted out.
I wish I could write more about it, but I was inside for literally two minutes, tops, took a picture, then was hastily escorted out.
Various Castles
I've seen a couple castles/keeps now, here are some photos from a few. I have a fascination with castles, and going to William the Conqueror's castle was amazing and just inspiring. I work in medieval and renaissance fairs in the states, and the very first one I was a part of did the theme of King Henry vs. Duke William, with the battle of Hastings in 1044 ad. So it was pretty amazing to be able to walk around the grounds of this place, and already knowing a bunch of the info on the placards stuck up everywhere :)
The first two are from the keep of William the Conqueror, in Caen, France. The second two are from a castle in Ghent, Belgium.
The first two are from the keep of William the Conqueror, in Caen, France. The second two are from a castle in Ghent, Belgium.
Museum of Contemporary/Modern Art and Oriental Art; Venice, Italy.
Not the exact name, it was very long, but close enough to give the idea.
Coming soon! Hopefully with pictures if I can make the external work.
Coming soon! Hopefully with pictures if I can make the external work.
St. Mark's Basilica; Venice, Italy.
Now, I don't know if they just don't care or if I'm simply an amazing ninja photographer, but there were signs EVERYWHERE saying "no photos". But I am stealthy, and apparently so is every other tourist that came in. And there were billions. Sheer ridiculousness. Anyways, moving on.
The building is absolutely span-tankin' BEAUTIFUL. I almost felt like I was in a video game(Assassin's Creed, takes place in Italy :D). Just, absolutely amazing. Waiting in a long line of tourists to go in, it's always a sort of ominous feeling walking through the front door, looking up and seeing the arches full of saints looking down on you, almost saying "Yeah, you're ******." I can definitely see why people would want to confess after walking by all those eyes and pointing fingers and holy people.
It was very cold inside, though I've noticed most cathedrals and big stone buildings here are, no matter how warm it is outside. In one cathedral I could even see my breath. Anyways. The walls inside were covered in gold laquer or paint, there was just so much pure wealth on the walls, it was ridiculous. Further in the cathedral, there was a lot of Byzantine art all over the walls of saints, angels, Jesus, Mary, any person from the bible you can think of. On the upper floors(Which you had to pay to go to, you pay for every section in the Basilica, though I hardly think it's in need of money), there is a mini museum, with some small scale replicas of the Basilica, as well as samples of the original tiles, some of the original paintings, etc. The four original horse copper horse statues that used to decorate the roof above the entrance arch were also moved inside where you can see them(They were replaced with replicas, who were made genderless I guess due to vandalism of the horses' private parts? That's usually how it goes.)
The museum goes on and around the second floor, into areas with smaller statues, mosaics, and there's a big room with a bunch of tapestries. Some of the tapestries had gold thread in them, but not much was left of the original work, they were all retouched and restored so much to try and keep the original image in tact.
The whole time tourists are running through the basilica, there was also a service going on as well. Turns out, the basilica is still a functioning church. We had to be quiet as we came in and walked around, though for me it wasn't too hard, I was too in awe to say much.
The building is absolutely span-tankin' BEAUTIFUL. I almost felt like I was in a video game(Assassin's Creed, takes place in Italy :D). Just, absolutely amazing. Waiting in a long line of tourists to go in, it's always a sort of ominous feeling walking through the front door, looking up and seeing the arches full of saints looking down on you, almost saying "Yeah, you're ******." I can definitely see why people would want to confess after walking by all those eyes and pointing fingers and holy people.
It was very cold inside, though I've noticed most cathedrals and big stone buildings here are, no matter how warm it is outside. In one cathedral I could even see my breath. Anyways. The walls inside were covered in gold laquer or paint, there was just so much pure wealth on the walls, it was ridiculous. Further in the cathedral, there was a lot of Byzantine art all over the walls of saints, angels, Jesus, Mary, any person from the bible you can think of. On the upper floors(Which you had to pay to go to, you pay for every section in the Basilica, though I hardly think it's in need of money), there is a mini museum, with some small scale replicas of the Basilica, as well as samples of the original tiles, some of the original paintings, etc. The four original horse copper horse statues that used to decorate the roof above the entrance arch were also moved inside where you can see them(They were replaced with replicas, who were made genderless I guess due to vandalism of the horses' private parts? That's usually how it goes.)
The museum goes on and around the second floor, into areas with smaller statues, mosaics, and there's a big room with a bunch of tapestries. Some of the tapestries had gold thread in them, but not much was left of the original work, they were all retouched and restored so much to try and keep the original image in tact.
The whole time tourists are running through the basilica, there was also a service going on as well. Turns out, the basilica is still a functioning church. We had to be quiet as we came in and walked around, though for me it wasn't too hard, I was too in awe to say much.
Museum of Fine Art; Venice, Italy.
Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact name of the museum, but it was a fine arts museum in Venice.
I have SO many photos from this one of the paintings, along with pictures of the artist's names so I would remember them later, but my external hard drive is being weird and won't work on my laptop.
There were SO many beautiful pieces here, most of them were religious sorts and painted pre 1600s I believe. The layout was also organized so that where you started in the museum, it was the oldest paintings, and as you progress you can see the paintings and styles and mediums advance and grow and take on new forms.
The first paintings were the very old religious ones, with mostly flat figures, dominance in the painting influencing the actual size of the figures(There were many paintings of Mary, where if it was real, she would be a twenty foot tall giant with little monks running around her feet), and LOTS of gold flakes used in the paints. The first inspirations for future artists', most definitely.
It progressed from there to more realistically rendered religious subjects(Like in the two photos provided, stolen from my facebook before my harddrive was being difficult), going more into the sorts of paintings I'm interested in. Nice compositions, realistic styles, almost a story being told within many of the paintings. Even the grand halls the paintings were kept in added to the effect. Big, swooping ceilings, and there were several paintings hung up kittycorner to the wall/ceiling, or even ON the ceiling. I didn't think people hundreds of years ago could warp their canvases the way I saw there, but it was really, really neat. There was one painting I actually got a severe neck ache looking at, I stood looking at it for almost ten minutes, head craned back, because it was a large, circular painting attached to the ceiling. The painting was beautiful, made obviously with the intention of being on a ceiling, because it looked as if you were looking through a window into heaven. Warm colored cloudy landscape, with small laughing cherubs and angles looking through the frame. Beautiful.
I'm going to try and get my external to work at school, see if I can't get any of the artist's names at least...
I have SO many photos from this one of the paintings, along with pictures of the artist's names so I would remember them later, but my external hard drive is being weird and won't work on my laptop.
There were SO many beautiful pieces here, most of them were religious sorts and painted pre 1600s I believe. The layout was also organized so that where you started in the museum, it was the oldest paintings, and as you progress you can see the paintings and styles and mediums advance and grow and take on new forms.
The first paintings were the very old religious ones, with mostly flat figures, dominance in the painting influencing the actual size of the figures(There were many paintings of Mary, where if it was real, she would be a twenty foot tall giant with little monks running around her feet), and LOTS of gold flakes used in the paints. The first inspirations for future artists', most definitely.
It progressed from there to more realistically rendered religious subjects(Like in the two photos provided, stolen from my facebook before my harddrive was being difficult), going more into the sorts of paintings I'm interested in. Nice compositions, realistic styles, almost a story being told within many of the paintings. Even the grand halls the paintings were kept in added to the effect. Big, swooping ceilings, and there were several paintings hung up kittycorner to the wall/ceiling, or even ON the ceiling. I didn't think people hundreds of years ago could warp their canvases the way I saw there, but it was really, really neat. There was one painting I actually got a severe neck ache looking at, I stood looking at it for almost ten minutes, head craned back, because it was a large, circular painting attached to the ceiling. The painting was beautiful, made obviously with the intention of being on a ceiling, because it looked as if you were looking through a window into heaven. Warm colored cloudy landscape, with small laughing cherubs and angles looking through the frame. Beautiful.
I'm going to try and get my external to work at school, see if I can't get any of the artist's names at least...
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
WWII Memorial Museum - Caen, France
[I have a couple pictures, they'll make their appearance eventually.]
Among my travels, one of the places I stayed for several days was Caen, France, in the area of Lower Normandy. It was a beautiful area, but even now, 60+ years after the second world war, you can still see the awful damage the was wrought on the area. Some of the historic landmarks are still, mostly, in one piece. But there are others that are mere shambles, skeletons of their former glory after the bombs that destroyed much of Normandy. It was very sobering to walk through the city and find random remains of megalithic structures.
While I was there, though, I went to see the World War II Memorial Museum. It was informative, as museums usually are, with lots of information and conjectures and photography and memorabilia from the war.
It was the photography that stood out to me more then anything else... It was amazing, shocking, beautiful, horrifying, any number of other adjectives. Some of the shots were simple, quick photos(Well, as quick as they could manage them at that time), but others...Truly shocking. And knowing how long it takes sometimes to set up a photograph, the artistry in them was almost shocking sometimes, knowing they would have had to sit, staring at their subjects, for who knows how long.
The museum tracked everything from twenty years or so before the war, to a couple years after it was declared over. So much to take in, all of it a reminder of huge mistakes people have made in the past.
It was a very disquieting place to go to, especially going out the door into bright sunshine. Polar opposites.
I know this museum isn't really that relative to "art history," as it were, but I wanted to make a post for it anyways. I'm also horrible at wrapping up posts with an ending that makes sense. Whoops.
I couldn't take a whole lot of pictures in here, the lighting wasn't bright enough for any good shots, so here's one from the front entrance... :P
Among my travels, one of the places I stayed for several days was Caen, France, in the area of Lower Normandy. It was a beautiful area, but even now, 60+ years after the second world war, you can still see the awful damage the was wrought on the area. Some of the historic landmarks are still, mostly, in one piece. But there are others that are mere shambles, skeletons of their former glory after the bombs that destroyed much of Normandy. It was very sobering to walk through the city and find random remains of megalithic structures.
While I was there, though, I went to see the World War II Memorial Museum. It was informative, as museums usually are, with lots of information and conjectures and photography and memorabilia from the war.
It was the photography that stood out to me more then anything else... It was amazing, shocking, beautiful, horrifying, any number of other adjectives. Some of the shots were simple, quick photos(Well, as quick as they could manage them at that time), but others...Truly shocking. And knowing how long it takes sometimes to set up a photograph, the artistry in them was almost shocking sometimes, knowing they would have had to sit, staring at their subjects, for who knows how long.
The museum tracked everything from twenty years or so before the war, to a couple years after it was declared over. So much to take in, all of it a reminder of huge mistakes people have made in the past.
It was a very disquieting place to go to, especially going out the door into bright sunshine. Polar opposites.
I know this museum isn't really that relative to "art history," as it were, but I wanted to make a post for it anyways. I'm also horrible at wrapping up posts with an ending that makes sense. Whoops.
I couldn't take a whole lot of pictures in here, the lighting wasn't bright enough for any good shots, so here's one from the front entrance... :P
Various Cathedrals
I've been to and seen so many cathedrals, I don't remember the names of them all, so here are a few photos from some of them. Most of them are from the cathedral in Amien, France(Which, according to my friend who lives there, is the largest cathedral in Europe. Notre Dame felt larger though...), but there is also the Sacre Couer in Paris, and the Bayeux Cathedral in Bayeux.
The first two are buildings I saw while in Maastricht, the Netherlands, but didn't go in(I was there for Carvenale, so they were shut.) The next four are the cathedral in Amien, France. The two after that are the Bayeux Cathedral.
My computer and flash drive are being silly and not letting me access my photos. So, this is just a place holder.
The first two are buildings I saw while in Maastricht, the Netherlands, but didn't go in(I was there for Carvenale, so they were shut.) The next four are the cathedral in Amien, France. The two after that are the Bayeux Cathedral.
My computer and flash drive are being silly and not letting me access my photos. So, this is just a place holder.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Notre Dame Cathedral; Paris, France
The first place of historical and artistic note I visited after arriving in Europe and Belgium was Paris, France.
Aside from the fact that I speak no French; which made for an interesting trip, the city was beautiful(Though it felt sort of diry, with dark cobblestone streets everywhere, and trash in many of the streets. The whole city seemed very dark). High rising buildings all crammed together, the skyline broken by church towers and domes and other impressive and religious structures, like the Sacre Court(Beautiful building, but I didn't actually go in), and of course the Eiffel Tower(Again, didn't go to the top, but the weather was fairly rotten when I visited, and there was a frightening amount of people getting in your face trying to peddle cheap tourist items. They were VERY adamant about it, and VERY annoying.)
Anyways. Notre Dame. Cathedral of cathedrals(In my opinion).
The friends I stayed with gave me a tour of the city, and we eventually came to one of the most beautiful buildings I'd seen to date. High, sweeping architecture, with religious ornamentation decorating almost every bit of available surface. I felt like I was looking at one of my old history books. I rememered the stone figures, statuesque portraits, and sweeping arches from my art history books, and just looking around, none of it felt real.
"I'm in Europe, I'm really, really here.' It has hit me in the face so many times, whenever I see something beautifully old and extraordinary, you'll never have the same experience in the States, that's for certain.
Eventually my friends pried me away from studying the rows of stone figures decorating the outside walls of the cathedral(Did I mention there were soldiers with automatic rifles walking around in the square in front of Notra Dame? Guns out in the open and everything, it was definitely a shock to see), and we went inside.
The inside was even more beautiful, somehow. It was all dimly lit by candles and small, unobtrusive lights scattered everywhere. A lot of people were there for service, because apparently it is still a functioning church and holds services each day.
It was just amazing though. Trying to find words to describe it is just so hard. The walls were covered in enormous religious paintings too, each one prasing God in his highest, with amazing attention and devotion shown in the details and effort put forth into each masterpiece. Unfortunately I'm not certain as to the names of the artists decorating the walls, there weren't a lot of informational plaques for the paintings. I was perfectly content just looking, though, knowing I stood in the same places old kings and queens and bishops and peasants did hundreds of years before. It was awe inspiring.
Ann, please let me know if this sort of post is acceptable? I'm not quite certain as to what sort of post you're looking for, but I hope this suffices.
Aside from the fact that I speak no French; which made for an interesting trip, the city was beautiful(Though it felt sort of diry, with dark cobblestone streets everywhere, and trash in many of the streets. The whole city seemed very dark). High rising buildings all crammed together, the skyline broken by church towers and domes and other impressive and religious structures, like the Sacre Court(Beautiful building, but I didn't actually go in), and of course the Eiffel Tower(Again, didn't go to the top, but the weather was fairly rotten when I visited, and there was a frightening amount of people getting in your face trying to peddle cheap tourist items. They were VERY adamant about it, and VERY annoying.)
Anyways. Notre Dame. Cathedral of cathedrals(In my opinion).
The friends I stayed with gave me a tour of the city, and we eventually came to one of the most beautiful buildings I'd seen to date. High, sweeping architecture, with religious ornamentation decorating almost every bit of available surface. I felt like I was looking at one of my old history books. I rememered the stone figures, statuesque portraits, and sweeping arches from my art history books, and just looking around, none of it felt real.
"I'm in Europe, I'm really, really here.' It has hit me in the face so many times, whenever I see something beautifully old and extraordinary, you'll never have the same experience in the States, that's for certain.
Eventually my friends pried me away from studying the rows of stone figures decorating the outside walls of the cathedral(Did I mention there were soldiers with automatic rifles walking around in the square in front of Notra Dame? Guns out in the open and everything, it was definitely a shock to see), and we went inside.
The inside was even more beautiful, somehow. It was all dimly lit by candles and small, unobtrusive lights scattered everywhere. A lot of people were there for service, because apparently it is still a functioning church and holds services each day.
It was just amazing though. Trying to find words to describe it is just so hard. The walls were covered in enormous religious paintings too, each one prasing God in his highest, with amazing attention and devotion shown in the details and effort put forth into each masterpiece. Unfortunately I'm not certain as to the names of the artists decorating the walls, there weren't a lot of informational plaques for the paintings. I was perfectly content just looking, though, knowing I stood in the same places old kings and queens and bishops and peasants did hundreds of years before. It was awe inspiring.
Ann, please let me know if this sort of post is acceptable? I'm not quite certain as to what sort of post you're looking for, but I hope this suffices.
Initializing
Hello Ann! And any others who may possibly ever be interested.
For those who aren't my art history teacher, I have made this blog as part of an assignment while studying abroad in Antwerp, Belgium.
While in Europe, my goal is to visit as many musems as I can, and this blog is a method of me expressing my thoughts on each museum and historical landmark that I visit.
I hope you enjoy a look into my thoughts :)
For those who aren't my art history teacher, I have made this blog as part of an assignment while studying abroad in Antwerp, Belgium.
While in Europe, my goal is to visit as many musems as I can, and this blog is a method of me expressing my thoughts on each museum and historical landmark that I visit.
I hope you enjoy a look into my thoughts :)
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