Bonjourno!
Have had a wonderful couple days in Italy, really reflective for me in terms of my experience.
On Tuesday I got breakfast with my wonderful aunt Cindy Froehlich, and we then climbed the hill to the castle in Conegliano. We then proceeded to my first warm up art exhibit, the Carpaccio exhibition in Conegliano. There weren’t any notable pieces in the exhibit however it was lovely none the less. After that we had lunch with the ever so gracious Juliana and Maria Clara. The rest of the day was spent around Conegliano in the most relaxing manner. What I needed after a 3 day plane ride.
Wednesday I went into Venice proper and proceeded the Museo Correr where I saw the “Transfiguration of Christ” by Bellini and “Man with a Red Hat” by Carpaccio. Both blew me away, attached are my reflections.
“Man with a Red Hat” by Carpaccio:
So coming on this first trip I was a bit nervous, I don’t have that much of a true educational background in art or painting and want to avoid sounding like a fool in my interpretations. The Man with a Red Hat is a mid 15th century portrait that displays a man in a red uniform with a red hat. The soberness of the man and the almost disinterest in his eyes really drew me to it, almost as if he had just found some disappointing news. It has a very exclusive subject, forcing all of your interest in the painting to the center. Well conveyed emotion, if a bit centric.
“Transfiguration of Christ” by Bellini:
This earlier version of the masterpiece is painted in a similar style as it displays the crucifixion of christ with a crowd gathered around. This painting almost made me think that all of our works are drawing us close to one centric theme, or one main meaning. The crowd is all looking to christ the martyr, and he is looking out to some greater truth. I am not condoning this specific way of truth, but just that there may be some, to use ethical terminology, fundamental truth.
After going to the museum I met several students at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice who invited me to their American English lecture. After taking their practice final exam with them (I passed thank goodness), they proceeded to show me around Venice the next day. They were incredibly welcoming, taking their day to show me around Venice and giving me a real taste of the local culture. Overall this really put a fantastic cap on my time in Venice, helping show me the real Venetian way of life.
Shout out to the Froehlich family for being the most gracious, fun, and welcoming hosts one could ask for. They went out of their way to help me, giving me advice, and treated me as their own. I am super lucky to call you family, and I need Kelby and Kody to learn to ski so I can take them to Utah and spoil them there!
But off to Frankfurt Germany to visit the Stadel and the Krakau family!
Brian
currently listening to:
Black Keys – 10 AM Automatic
We absolutely LOVED having you! So glad the weather was better for you this time. And the best experiences happen when the local take you in. We’ve found that out so many times! So glad you’re doing this amazing thing. It will stay with you forever!