Uffizi Gallery Part Two

Of course there are so many, many paintings and sculptures on display that it is impossible to remember or post most of them. I have tried to choose some of the ones that I particularly liked or that stood out in some way. Fortunately, each item had a placard telling the artist and something about the piece. I usually took a picture of both the card and the painting so I could remember what it was.

I said I didn't take many pictures of the Greek and Roman statues, but this sleeping cupid in black marble caught my eye.

The Tribune is an octagonal room that was designed to display jewels and other artifacts for Francesco I de' Medici in the late 16th century. It has been beautifully restored and is a jewel itself. There are three doorways through which you can look, but no one is allowed to enter.

This unusual drawing is by Bellini, of the Lamentations over the Body of Christ.

Clearly, paintings of the Madonna and Child abound. These three were very interesting. The first is by Botticelli, and is called the Madonna of the Pomegranate, because she is holding one.

This one, also by Botticelli (is there a theme here?) is the Madonna of the Magnificat. She has a book open before her. In the Bible, she speaks the prayer after being told of the coming of Christ. But maybe she repeated it after he was born. (And how wonderful that she could read a Medieval manuscript!)

This one is by Michelangelo. I had been looking forward to seeing it again. It is his only documented panel painting, commissioned by a merchant. The figures cavorting in the background are obviously inspired by classical sculpture. One of the things we noticed throughout the museum was how the Italian painters used their own scenery as backgrounds in almost all their works.

This is Botticelli's most famous painting, the Birth of Venus. I could not get a shot of it, so copied this one from Wikipedia. When you look at her face, you will realize you see the same woman in many of his paintings.

And last but not least, is probably my favorite painting of all time. It's not a very good shot, but I love the figures of the women and the forest scene. The title is Primavera (Spring). When we were here a few years ago, I purchased a copy about double-postcard size and I like to take it out and look at it.

During high tourist season, the Uffizi is very crowded, and it is advisable to purchase timed tickets ahead of time to avoid very long lines. We didn't do that, and had no wait at all. There were people throughout, but it never felt crowded. (I missed photographing one painting I wanted to get because a young man was standing right in front and didn't move for a very long time. Oh, well.)