Dear Art Lover,
I hope you are not tired of these posts
from my visit to the Museo dell’Opera
del Duomo in Florence, Italy. Today,
I thought I would share with you some more of the stone carvings. I really would like to know more about how so much carving of stone was done before the days of electricity. Some of this stone is not that soft!
For
example, look at this large tub. I
apologize for not reading the label (or in this case, even photographing it for
review later). I might have understood
what the tub was used for: Is it a
fountain basin for the local water supply?
Was it a marble bathtub? Was it a coffin for a child? That latter does not seem likely since the
bas relief designs on the front do not seem consistent. In any event, notice how much decoration
there is! Lots of architecture houses
the human figures and aids in the feeling of symmetry. Note that the figures are purposely out of
proportion to one another, all for the sake of design and decoration. I love the figure emerging from the slightly
opened door. It adds some action to the
otherwise static composition.
These others just made me smile. The grouping with the Madonna and Child seems
normal, but then, look at the gesture and expression of the figure on the
right. How funny is that? While the others are interested in what’s up,
this guy is looking down on us little people and appears to be aware of us and
waving hello.
And this other, rather dissolved looking couple
struck me as smooching and was unexpected among religious themes (is that not
sad?). Anyway, see what you think.
Kelly
~ Kelly Borsheim, sculptor,
painter, writer, teacher
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