AN ART LOVER’S GUIDE TO FLORENCE -- PART 3

BY JUDITH TESTA

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY PRESS

By Heidi Johnson-Wright

In the 20th century, without the context of the horrors of the First World War, Dada would seem like little more than a fur-lined teacup.

And without an understanding of how the Machine Age changed civilization, Art Deco would be reduced to pretty swirling lines in building friezes.

Same goes for the Italian Renaissance.

 

Although Testa’s prose is occasionally clunky, she more than makes up for it with juicy tales about Brunelleschi’s gargantuan ego, a pirate turned disgraced pope, Medici family intrigue and so much more.

 

Once you’ve read the 229-page book, and finally find yourself in front of Botticelli’s Primavera, your breath will be taken away for all the right reasons.

Paperback: $22.50: www.niupress.niu.edu

 

AN ART LOVER’S GUIDE TO FLORENCE -- PART 2

BY JUDITH TESTA

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY PRESS

By Heidi Johnson-Wright

Testa, a professor emerita at Northern Illinois University, has penned a delightfully readable guide to the best paintings and sculpture to be found in the city.

It’s not a comprehensive catalog, but rather a love letter of sorts to the iconic masterpieces that have come to be identified with this city on the Arno.

 

What sets Testa’s book apart from other guides is that it weaves in rich historical perspective on the artworks, delving into the worlds of 15th century sex, politics and religion.

Testa knows that placing art in historical context is essential to our understanding and appreciation of it.

Paperback: $22.50: www.niupress.niu.edu

AN ART LOVER’S GUIDE TO FLORENCE REVIEW CONTINUES TOMORROW, OCTOBER 28

AN ART LOVER’S GUIDE TO FLORENCE -- PART 1

BY JUDITH TESTA

NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY PRESS

By Heidi Johnson-Wright

The Louvre, the Prado, and the Met are world-class art institutions: must-see attractions when visiting Paris, Madrid and New York.

No disrespect to those cities, but when it comes to art, Florence is a world apart.

The whole darn town is a work of art.

 

Unless you’re fortunate enough to spend several months there as a student or retiree, a visit to Firenze likely means you’ll have very limited time to take it all in.

Acquire some context and focus before you go, and the experience will be much richer.

 

Grab a latte, find a quiet corner and crack open Judith Testa’s An Art Lover’s Guide to Florence.

Paperback: $22.50: www.niupress.niu.edu

AN ART LOVER’S GUIDE TO FLORENCE REVIEW CONTINUES TOMORROW, OCTOBER 28

TUSCANY -- ABBEVILLE PRESS -- PART 6

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SONJA BULLATY AND ANGELO LOMEO. TEXT BY MARIE-ANGE GUILLAUME

Guillaume also recounts the Florence-based relationship between famed writer Henry James and his host (and fellow writer) Constance Fenimore Woolson (grand niece of Fenimore Cooper.)

"Here, I have attained that old-world feeling I used to dream about, a sort of enthusiasm made up of history, mythology, old churches, pictures, statues, vineyards, the Italian sky, dark-eyed peasants, opera-music, Raphael and old Michael....Perhaps I ought to add Henry James. He has been perfectly charming to me for three weeks," penned Fenimore Woolson, referring to Michelangelo as old Michael.

Guillaume's keen sense of storytelling -- coupled with Bullaty's and Lomeo's artistic capturing of said vineyards, statutes, churches, peasants and haystacks -- make Tuscany a must-have travel book.

WWW.ABBEVILLE.COM   $45

TUSCANY -- ABBEVILLE PRESS -- PART 5

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SONJA BULLATY AND ANGELO LOMEO. TEXT BY MARIE-ANGE GUILLAUME

The cathedral of Siena is portrayed in varying displays that show its pure beauty, its scale against the cityscape, its exquisite detailing in close up and its commanding view over the historic town and out into the countryside.

In telling the tale of Michelangelo's endless days of work in Florence and other parts of Italy, Guillaume shares the delicious quote by the artist himself: "I am bruised, exhausted, worn out: such is the fruit of my efforts; death is the inn where, having paid my dues, I'll have bed and board."

WWW.ABBEVILLE.COM   $45

TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 
TOMORROW -- OCTOBER 2

TUSCANY -- ABBEVILLE PRESS -- PART 4

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SONJA BULLATY AND ANGELO LOMEO. TEXT BY MARIE-ANGE GUILLAUME

The full-color book is divided into chapters on: The Lure of Tuscany; The Land; Springtime and Gardens; Trees and Vineyards; Florence, Siena, and Pisa; Faces; Hilltowns and Abbeys; Marble; Windows and Doors; and The Coast.

Along with all the expected shots of the Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio and Duomo, the Bullaty-Lomeo team's keen eye produces a haunting image of white grave markers making a brilliant geometric pattern at the American cemetery near Terme di Firenze.

In Siena, an aerial shot captures the enormity of the Piazza del Campo while a brilliant small image depicts two children, barely tall enough to walk, enjoying the fabled public plaza.

WWW.ABBEVILLE.COM   $45

TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 
TOMORROW -- OCTOBER 1