Let me be completely honest, I am not an art buff. I never really cared about it and it has never peaked my interest. Although I find many pieces of art beautiful, I do not really care who made it and when. I took an advanced art history class during my sophomore year of college (I have no idea how or why I ended up in the "advanced class") and it was the epitome of boring. I have never studied so hard for one class only to receive a bad grade. The whole class was about our teacher's personal opinion and how he felt about art. After that, I decided that I would not devote any more of my studies to art. To me, it was overrated and uninteresting. I would rather read and exercise my brain in different ways.
It might seem weird to an outsider as to why I chose to study abroad in Florence. First off, I just really wanted to go to Italy. Second, the Rome program did not have my classes. Even when I arrived, I still did not care about the Renaissance or any of the art. I thought it was cool to see so many pretty things but I could probably live without all the works of art. They weren't a big deal. Then, every single one of my classes included art somehow but it wasn't the nightmare I thought it would be. Teachers merely used pieces to explain history.
It was not until I visited the Vatican Museum and the Academia that I gained somewhat of an understanding as to why art was a such big deal in Italy. Our tour guides would basically give us an art history lecture prior to seeing any of the pieces. Comical stories of disputes, rivalries and drama were behind every piece of art. The guides would explain why the work of art was so significant in its day. It started to make sense.
My personal favorite is Michelangelo's David. Although this statue is a worldwide icon, I like it because of its story. Sure, David is a hottie but there is so much more to him. He was and still is the standard for male beauty (I'd like to think that if you tilt your head sideways, close one eye and hop up and down...he looks a little like Mike). Michelangelo made him at age 26....5 years older than I am now. He was modeled after a slave and was originally intended to be displayed in a church. Since he was a big naked man, he was instead displayed in a public square for hundreds of years. Did I mention that he is really attractive? He has been damaged and abused, yet he still remains beautiful.
I still do not think that I will ever be really into art. I cannot look at a painting and decipher every detail but I can pick out key themes. It is hard to escape the artistic culture in Florence and I am trying my best to understand the Florentine passion for beauty. For now, I'll stick with my obsession with David.
It might seem weird to an outsider as to why I chose to study abroad in Florence. First off, I just really wanted to go to Italy. Second, the Rome program did not have my classes. Even when I arrived, I still did not care about the Renaissance or any of the art. I thought it was cool to see so many pretty things but I could probably live without all the works of art. They weren't a big deal. Then, every single one of my classes included art somehow but it wasn't the nightmare I thought it would be. Teachers merely used pieces to explain history.
It was not until I visited the Vatican Museum and the Academia that I gained somewhat of an understanding as to why art was a such big deal in Italy. Our tour guides would basically give us an art history lecture prior to seeing any of the pieces. Comical stories of disputes, rivalries and drama were behind every piece of art. The guides would explain why the work of art was so significant in its day. It started to make sense.
My personal favorite is Michelangelo's David. Although this statue is a worldwide icon, I like it because of its story. Sure, David is a hottie but there is so much more to him. He was and still is the standard for male beauty (I'd like to think that if you tilt your head sideways, close one eye and hop up and down...he looks a little like Mike). Michelangelo made him at age 26....5 years older than I am now. He was modeled after a slave and was originally intended to be displayed in a church. Since he was a big naked man, he was instead displayed in a public square for hundreds of years. Did I mention that he is really attractive? He has been damaged and abused, yet he still remains beautiful.
I still do not think that I will ever be really into art. I cannot look at a painting and decipher every detail but I can pick out key themes. It is hard to escape the artistic culture in Florence and I am trying my best to understand the Florentine passion for beauty. For now, I'll stick with my obsession with David.