Toronto Star

The paintings of Florence in all their glory

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Immerse yourself in the sumptuous, luminous world of Florence’s art spanning 500 years, assembled and explained by art historians Ross King and Anja Grebe in Florence: The Paintings and Frescoes, 1250-1743 (Black Dog & Leventhal). Drawing heavily upon religion and myths deeply rooted in Italian culture, artists retold the well-known stories by depicting angels, gods, saints, kings and royalty, while also casting their eyes to the natural world. Star entertainm­ent writer Trish Crawford shares some of the highlights.

?? RENE JOHNSTONE PHOTOS/TORONTO STAR ?? Coast of Naples, Viewed from the Sea, Gaspar van Wittel, 1719 This Dutch painter, known for his landscapes, spent his creative life in Italy. Although living in Rome, he also travelled to Florence with this oil on canvas being hung in the Pitti Palace....
RENE JOHNSTONE PHOTOS/TORONTO STAR Coast of Naples, Viewed from the Sea, Gaspar van Wittel, 1719 This Dutch painter, known for his landscapes, spent his creative life in Italy. Although living in Rome, he also travelled to Florence with this oil on canvas being hung in the Pitti Palace....
?? ?? Healing of the Cripple and Raising of Tabitha, Masolino da Paniche, 1423-28 Bible stories provided a wealth of material for artists who took liberties with the text in order to create images that would resonate with Florentine society. Two different...
Healing of the Cripple and Raising of Tabitha, Masolino da Paniche, 1423-28 Bible stories provided a wealth of material for artists who took liberties with the text in order to create images that would resonate with Florentine society. Two different...
?? ?? Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints and Angels, 1300s Mary sits on a throne holding the lively infant Jesus within the protection of heavenly guards. This scene adorned many church altars and the theme of mother and child resonated strongly...
Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints and Angels, 1300s Mary sits on a throne holding the lively infant Jesus within the protection of heavenly guards. This scene adorned many church altars and the theme of mother and child resonated strongly...
?? ?? Fra Angelico, 1420 Pestilence, famine and the Black Death shrank Florence from a thriving city of 120,000 people — second in size only to Paris at that time in Europe — to a mere 42,000 souls. It was a devastatio­n that took hundreds of years to...
Fra Angelico, 1420 Pestilence, famine and the Black Death shrank Florence from a thriving city of 120,000 people — second in size only to Paris at that time in Europe — to a mere 42,000 souls. It was a devastatio­n that took hundreds of years to...
?? ?? Tondi Doni, Michaelang­elo, 1504-07 Nude males lounge in the background, a heathen past behind the Holy Family in red, blue and orange creating a family circle in the foreground. They could be sculptures, with muscles delineated and robes folded and...
Tondi Doni, Michaelang­elo, 1504-07 Nude males lounge in the background, a heathen past behind the Holy Family in red, blue and orange creating a family circle in the foreground. They could be sculptures, with muscles delineated and robes folded and...
?? ?? Annunciati­on, Fra Angelico, 1438-45, The annunciati­on — when the angel came down to earth to tell Mary she was going to have a baby named Jesus — is a story frequently depicted. The blue-robed Mary is young and listening to the angel, adopting the...
Annunciati­on, Fra Angelico, 1438-45, The annunciati­on — when the angel came down to earth to tell Mary she was going to have a baby named Jesus — is a story frequently depicted. The blue-robed Mary is young and listening to the angel, adopting the...
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