Elsien's Traveblogue

1pm I put Lorenzo Ghiberti to rest this morning, next to his Dad, Bartoluccio. They are buried together in the church of Santa Croce, with such luminaries as Michelangelo, Macchiavelli and Galileo. I've seen whatever Vasari mentions in his Life of Ghiberti in Florence, have studied the famous Gates of Paradise as well as the other set of doors, seen the saints' statues Ghiberti did for the masters of the Mint and the Wool Guild around Orsanmichele, the stained glass windows in the Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore and in Santa Croce and now his gravestone. There is something very satisfying about being able to follow one of these Vasari Lives almost in its entirety – the work outside Florence, in Arezzo, is missing from my tour, but hey, you cannot do everything!
Vasari's rather dry descriptions really come to life when you get to see all the places he writes about. I carry the book with me everywhere I go. I read up on Giotto this morning when I looked at the Giotto frescoes in Santa Croce. It really takes you back in time, because, even if Vasari wrote about these works of art after some of the artists were already dead and buried (1548-ish), he was still a lot closer to them than we are and would have seen the frescoes and paintings while they were still very much in one piece.
I try not to get too irritated by the chattering, flash-photographing crowds – they have as much right as I have to be there – but why must they come in packs? And why do so many people spend more time on taking a picture than actually looking at the thing? Rotten education?
Florence is sunny if a little chilly today, but much warmer than Amsterdam, London or Brussels. Walking around is a pleasure.
8pm Tried to get to grips with OU material on Caravaggio but more specifically with how we judge and interpret a work of art. Do we need to know about an artist's life? I think the answer for me is no, we don't, but it does make the whole experience more interesting if I know who painted the picture, why, what he (the artist is usually a 'he') meant, what else he painted. I also like to know about the circumstances, the time, the place, the influences … This is partly my cultural conditioning and I am perfectly able to appreciate a painting by an unknown painter but it is enjoyable with Vasari in my hand to try and follow these people around Florence. Am struggling with the 'intentional fallacy' in the OU materials; I must say I have seen it explained rather better …
Went to Santa Trinita in the afternoon where I saw some luminous Ghirlandaio frescoes, scenes from the life of St Francis against a Florence backdrop. Will have to go back with a bag of 50 cent coins as you need one for every two minutes of light …
Also looked at the outside mainly of the Palazzos of the Rucellai family and the Strozzis. Poor Strozzis spent more time outside Florence in exile than in it – how stupid to oppose the Medici! They are fabulously beautiful buildings though.