{"id":20513,"date":"2023-12-03T06:28:27","date_gmt":"2023-12-03T12:28:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/carterembry.com\/?p=20513"},"modified":"2025-09-09T15:13:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T20:13:08","slug":"uffizi-gallery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/carterembry.com\/it\/2023\/uffizi-gallery\/%20","title":{"rendered":"Galleria degli Uffizi"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Uffizi Gallery\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOne of the oldest galleries in the world\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h6>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>
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I knew that Italy, especially Florence, would give us opportunities to experience amazing art. My degree is in Fine Art, so I have seen a lot of beautiful Italian works in textbooks. Getting to see some of these works in person was astounding. It's been several years since I've refreshed my knowledge - I was not fully prepared for The Uffizi Gallery.<\/p>\n

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence was commissioned to be built by the Medici family in 1560. It opened as an art gallery in 1581, and finally became available to the public in 1737. The museum as we know it today opened in 1769. It contains collections of art from the Middle Ages all the way up to the Modern period. Never have I personally been in such a dense collection of historical artwork.<\/p>\n

Many, many research papers, textbooks, and other education works have been written about the art here. Lives have been dedicated to understanding even small works that we were able to see. Needless to say, it was overwhelming. One day is not enough time to really take it all in. With that in mind, I'll skim some of our favorites\/highlights<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tMedusa by Caravaggio\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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You almost definitely know this one. I guess I had forgotten that it was painted on a ceremonial shield (rather than a canvas or board). It is beautiful and I’m glad we were able to see it. Replicas of the work were available in every form imaginable in every tourist souvenir shop around town, sometimes even respectfully.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tJudith Beheading Holofernes by Artemisia Gentileschi\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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I think this was Ammi’s favorite of the day. It’s become Tumblr-famous in recent years. Here’s an excerpt from Uffizi’s website:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Lord has struck him down by the hand of a woman\u201d. So says Judith, a young Jew from Bethulia, in the bible when she describes her heroic act that freed the people of Israel from the siege by Nebuchadnezzar’s army. Judith went to the encampment of the fierce Holofernes, general of the enemy army, dressed in her best clothes and feigning a wish to forge an alliance. Struck by her beauty, the Assyrian general invited her to a lavish banquet in his tent. After eating and drinking, Holofernes, now drunk, fell asleep on his bed, allowing Judith to seize her chance to draw her scimitar and strike the deadly blow.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

— from https:\/\/www.uffizi.it\/en\/artworks\/judith-beheading-holofernes<\/p>\n

As they say in Chicago, he had it comin’. This was an amazing piece to see, from the skintone to the beautiful treatment of cloth to the spurting blood, it oozed beauty and character.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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We got to see at least two by Rembrandt:<\/p>\n