Arts & Culture of Florence: Pre-Departure Sketchbook Experiments!
Student of the Arts & Culture of Florence Summer 2023 JBIP trip explored Florence, Italy throughout the Spring 2023 semester through the maintenance of a sketchbook. Scans and student-written reflections from this process are included in this pre-departure article!
Image: Scan from the Sketchbook of Graphic Design Student Ethan Davies.
Introducing the “Vasari Corridor.”
The Vasari Corridor is an essential element of the streets of Florence, Italy; a “monumental urban ‘footpath’ that took the absolute power of the ruler right into the historic heart of the city,” according to “Museums of Florence.” Alie Feid introduces us to the corridor’s history and architectural construction in the weeks preceding our Summer 2023 John Belk International Program (JBIP) to Florence, Italy!
Image: “The Corridor along the riverside,” Courtesy of http://www.museumsinflorence.com/musei/corridoio_vasariano.html.
The Life of Saint Augustine: Gozzoli’s Frescos in San Gimignano, Italy
Alie Feid introduces the Frescoes of Benozzo Gozzoli, located in the the apsidal chapel of Sant'Agostino in San Gimignano. Looking in the future to this Summer’s May 2023 John Belk International Program (JBIP) to Florance, Italy, the history, techniques, and importance of these frescoes are explored in the context of Renaissance-era Tuscany.
Image: Blessing of the Faithful at Hippo (scene 14, north wall), 1464-65, fresco, width 440 cm, Apsidal chapel, Sant'Agostino, San Gimignano.
Exploring “Museo Leonardo Da Vinci,” in Florence, Italy.
Queens International Student Niya Holland takes us on a visual tour of the Museo Leonardo da Vinci (or the “Leonardo da Vinci Museum,”) through images she took during her previous trip to Florence, Italy.
Image: Detail of the Fourth Room of the Museo Leonardo da Vinci, Courtesy of TripAdvisor.
Critics of Renaissance Florence
The tradition of art criticism as we have come to understand it in contemporary history began during the Renaissance, where “detailed analysis and deliberate evaluation of artists began,” (Encyclopedia Britannica). These analyses came from men of Florentine origin or interest in particular, ranging from iconic figures of the Renaissance like Leonardo da Vinci, Lorenzo Ghiberti, and Leon Battista Alberti, to the writings of Filippo Villani. This article explores these great art critics who set the precedent for contemporary art historical analysis and art criticism.
Image: “St. John on Patmos,” Nicolas Poussin. 1645–50; Courtesy of the Art Institute of Chicago. 100.3 × 136.4 cm.
The Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy: A Monastic & Medicinal Tradition
The Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy is perhaps the oldest pharmacy in the world, and decidedly the oldest pharmacy in operation in contemporary Italy. In preparation for May 2023’s study abroad program in Florence, Italy, Astrid Bridgwood explores the Pharmacy’s origin and modern-day sales environment, from attempts to cure the Black Death to revolutionary developments in perfume.
Image: “Scent of the Past,” Detail shot of Pharmacy Interior, © 2023, Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. Courtesy of CNN Travel.