Friday, October 16, 2009

Bound For The Continent!


I remember my history of art professor pointing out the "foreshortened perspective" of the dead guy in the lower left front of Ucello's painting The Battle of San Romano as being the beginning of the European development of perspective drawing ....and I remember thinking I needed to try painting my lances a lighter color!

My allegedly tough academic job just got "tougher" by virtue of having been chosen to travel to Europe with an enthusiastic batch of architecture students! I am a lucky guy to be teaching at one of the best architecture schools in the US and I get to join their Europe travel group on occasion and this year I get the great opportunity in November to go to Italy for a couple of weeks to see the wonders of Florence and Rome. Of course my hidden agenda is always wargaming and I'm going to be on the hunt for all manner of things military and so I'm open to any and all suggestions of things to see in Rome and Florence with a nod towards my all consuming madness.

2 comments:

Ubique Matt said...

Hello LittleJohn,
I won’t mention the obvious highlights considering you’re going with architecture students but if you get the chance try to see the Museo Nazionale Romano (National Museum of Rome) - Palazzo Massimo, located near the main train station.
An unexpected highlight for me was seeing Maxentius' Imperial Insignia. These are the only Roman standards known to exist. Thought to have been buried by the supporters of Maxentius after his defeat by Constantine at the Battle of the Milvian Bridge, October 312. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxentius
They were tucked away in a corner of the basement level of the museum in what may have been only a temporary display. The museum is worth visiting if only to see the ‘Boxer at Rest’ sculpture. http://www.mlahanas.de/Greeks/Arts/Boxer.htm

Another place often overlooked is the Villa Borghese, just north of the centre. On display is the ‘Gladiator Mosaic’.
www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm
It also contains some breathtaking sculptures by Bernini http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gian_Lorenzo_Bernini

It’s worth taking a small, pocket size, pair of binoculars. Very useful at looking at the gory details on Trajan’s Column and any the ceiling paintings you come across.

littlejohn said...

Ubique

Thanks very much for the ideas and links. I had not thought of binoculars!

This is the third time to Europe in my lifetime and I'm hoping to "get it right" this time .

Dave