Well our time is up for the Uffizi Gallery. We have to meet the rest of the group...it took us over 45 minutes to get out of the gallery. Every few feet or so there was something else to see, to reflect upon, to stand in awe of...we did come across one more painting that really spoke to me.

'The Scullery Maid'

by

Contini Bonacossi

17 Century

 I love his use of light

(Sadly) we are now leaving the Region of Tuscany. We have had a wonderful time here. We have travelled all over this beautiful big world and although we have loved every minute of our adventures I have never really needed to go back to any of the other places. I would happily return to Costa Rica or Thailand don't get me wrong that being said I truly hope to return to Tuscany. The B&B that we stayed in would be a lovely 'home base' for a three week holiday...rent a car, go off to other areas of Tuscany like Pisa, Lucca or Volterra for day trips. Each of these cities are within 2-3 hours of the hotel...sigh...someday maybe

Next we head to Venice via the cities of Verona and Ravenna

'The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence'

Carved by Bernini

Aged 15

Words fail me

Silenus and the Young Bacchus

4th century BCE

Bronze

Figure of a Sea Nymph astride a Sea Horse

Greek Marble

3rd Century BCE

Laocoon and his Sons

Copy

Original was unearthed / excavated in Rome in 1506

& placed on public display in the Vatican

A few more elaborate ceilings along 

the way to the sculpture section of the gallery

'Portia was the wife of Brutus, one of the conspirators involved in the murder of Julius Caesar. After her husbands suicide

she too killed herself by swallowing burning coals (on the ground on the right of the portrait), 

thus becoming a symbol of wifely loyalty'

GOOD GRIEF!

'The Adoration of the Magi'

By 

Leonardo Da Vinci

Uncompleted pen and ink drawing

Has been at the Uffizi Gallery since 1670

'The Annunciation'

by

Leonardo da Vinci

One of the first oil paintings of the 20 year old master

'The Baptism of Christ'

by

Leonardo da Vinci

1472

Portrait of Youth with a Medal

Botticelli

1475

Unfortunately I was unable to get the names of the following

portraits.

Although this one appears to be Jesus and the Angel Gabriel perhaps?

Madonna and Child

Madonna of the Rose Garden

by

Sandro Botticelli

1469

One of his earliest paintings

'Primavera'

by

S. Botticelli

1482

"an elaborate mythological allegory of the burgeoning fertility of the world"

This is a very complex painting. One that I encourage you to look up

and read about

'The Birth Of Venus'

by

S. Botticelli

1486

'It depicts the Goddess Venus arriving at the shore

after her birth, when she has emerged from the sea fully grown'

'Madonna of the Pomegranate'

by

S. Botticelli

1487