Palaeolithic art: a journey to the origins of human creativity

Thursday January 16th, 2025 , Schools & Periods

Grotte di Altamira

Palaeolithic art, the first chapter of human creativity: from cave paintings to engravings, a journey into the essence of art and primitive life.

When we think of art, we imagine famous paintings like the Lady with an Ermine or monumental sculptures like the Nike of Samothrace. However, the first traces of human creativity date back thousands of years and are engraved on cave walls or modelled in stone. Palaeolithic art is not just an expression of human creativity, but a powerful narrative of the life, emotions and mystery that surrounded our ancestors.

In this post I want to explore the wonders of an era that, with just a few lines and symbols, laid the foundations of our visual and cultural language. Get ready for a journey through time to discover how it all began!

DISCOVERING PALAEOLITHIC ART

Patrons of the Renaissance: The Role of Italian Lords in Art

Thursday September 5th, 2024 , Schools & Periods

Francesco Sforza, Lorenzo de’ Medici, Ludovico III Gonzaga

Between the mid 15th century and the early 16th century, Italy witnessed the blossoming of a unique relationship between lords and artists that would profoundly mark the Renaissance. In this period of intense creativity and innovation, patrons were not mere patrons, but real cultural promoters who shaped cities as stages for their artistic and political ambitions. Artists resided in noble palaces, immersed in a stimulating intellectual environment, collaborating with humanists, philosophers, poets and scientists. This symbiosis gave rise to timeless masterpieces and monumental architectural works celebrating the greatness of their patrons.

In this post, I take you on a discovery of the lords of the Italian Renaissance courts.

PATRONS OF THE RENAISSANCE

The Illusion of Gaze: How Art Connects the Viewer to the Scene

Saturday August 17th, 2024 , Schools & Periods

Botticelli autoritratto Adorazione dei Magi

Botticelli, autoritratto nell’Adorazione dei Magi

Imagine you are standing in front of a work of art, your gaze crosses that of the character being portrayed and in an instant the distance between you and the work vanishes. This powerful link between viewer and represented subject is an illusion masterfully orchestrated by artists over the centuries.
From Renaissance works to contemporary masterpieces, we discover how looking beyond the image transforms our perception of art, breaking down the barrier between fiction and reality and creating an emotional bridge that brings us closer to the story depicted.

THE GAZE IN ART

Giorgio Vasari and the birth of the Renaissance concept

Thursday August 8th, 2024 , Schools & Periods

The Renaissance is that period in Western history, culture, politics and art, which runs from the end of the 14th century to the middle of the 16th century. It is a period characterised by a climate of rebirth of Italian art and change, which sees the new urban society gain a freer conception of life based on the idea that man can be the subject of his own history and destiny. But who is it that introduces the concept of the Renaissance?

In this post, we take you on a journey to discover the origin of the term Renaissance and its meaning introduced by the man who wrote the first book on art history: Giorgio Vasari.

GIORGIO VASARI AND THE RENAISSANCE

The World’s Most Beautiful Domes: A Journey Between Architecture and Spirituality

Thursday July 25th, 2024 , Schools & Periods

Cupola Basilica Superiore Assisi

The use of domes to cover religious or secular buildings not only has ancient origins, but its widespread use has been very successful in both East and West.
The structure of the dome is a metaphor for the vault of heaven, a symbolic gateway between the earthly world and the divine world. The decoration of the dome therefore has a very specific purpose, that of providing the illusion that the building has direct access to an otherworldly dimension.

This post takes you on a discovery of the most beautiful domes ever built.

The Art Post Blog | Art and Artists Italian Blog