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Mary's WOW.....Accademia Gallery of Florence
Did I tell you that I am a pharmacist? I have a math/science background and though I enjoy a good museum, I had no idea what to expect in the "Birthplace of the Renaissance". WOW. Our tour guide for those days was named Tanya and she was excellent. She was passionate about her work and told many interesting stories about the art she was introducing.
This one to the left is a plaster cast of Giambologna's Rape of the Sabine Women. The marble sculpture is in the Loggia dei Lanzi, on the Piazza della Signoria, also in Florence. She told us the story behind the requisition of the piece and the political nature of the topic. The piece is spectacular. There is no front or back, just different views of the 3 bodies almost in motion.
Then there was the David. Now, that math/science background did not prepare me for the discovery that he is David of "David and Goliath"! Wow, I never realized that he was carrying the sling! Then she brought up the question, "Is this before or after he has defeated the giant"? Who knew art was so fascintating?
My next revelation was as we entered the hall of the David. Tanya told us that he would be flanked by what has been named "The Prisoners". These are sculptures that Michelangelo never finished. What a look into the process! In my naivety I never would have imagined that a sculptor would be able to "see" what was inside a piece of marble and then....let it out.
I can almost see the movement in the arms, the prisoners trying to shed the stone. They were amazing.
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