Deborah and Andrea visit to Venice and portraits session
Blog
Canaletto sketches on show @ Palazzo Grimani /
‘Canaletto. Il Quaderno Veneziano’Museo di Palazzo Grimani, Castello 4858 (Santa Maria Formosa), Venice1st April – 1st July 2012
The title of this unique exhibition runs to ‘Canaletto. The Venice Sketchbook/Notebook’, albeit that the original sketches were loose sheets, bound only in the 19th century. The core of the exhibition is these said sketches of Venice, probably dating from a brief time period, and giving a fascinating insight (via notes, scribbles, comments on light, colours and settings) into the modus operandi of this great artist. Also on show are numerous other pieces – sketches, scribbles, drafts – from collections both private and public.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LV3WspW6I1o&w=560&h=315]
NO Cruise Ships....in Venice /
The protest against the Cruise Ships was held today on the Grand Canal and just after the Punta della Salute....for pure coincidence...a large...no a very LARGE Cruise Ship...the Cunard Queen Victoria was crossing St Mark's Basin....
Few more pictures of today protest organized by Comitato NO Grandi Navi are here. I just realized I took the pictures in Southampton few years ago when the Queen Victoria was named and pictures are here....
As usual was a very well organized and behaved protest!
Urs Fisher at Palazzo Grassi /
It’s named after a mysterious Madame Fisscher the exhibition dedicated to Urs Fischer, which is set to open at Palazzo Grassi - François Pinault
Using his witty sense of humor, Zurich artist Urs Fischer invites us into his chaotic London studio which, ironically, has also got a name: Madame Fisscher. Clearly we are talking about a work of art and Madame Fisscher is simply a fictional character made up by the artist.
Curated by Fischer himself alongside Caroline Bourgeois and hosted at Palazzo Grassi between April 15th and July 15, the exhibition named after this mysterious lady is very likely to play tricks on our senses.
Who Really Discovered America? /
A 14th-century voyage across the North Atlantic; a 16th-century publishing event; and a 21st-century quest are the subjects of a book by Andrea di Robilant, a distinguished scholar of Venetian history.
The modern story follows the author’s investigations after stumbling upon an old book in the Biblioteca Marciana in Venice while looking for something else. An American-educated Italian whose previous titles include the well-received “Venetian Affair,” di Robilant admits to an “obsession” with the shadowy figures who emerged from his initial inquiries. The old book turned out to be a travel narrative and map published in Venice in 1558 and written by one Nicolò Zen. Piecing together archival scraps, di Robilant discovers that Zen was a nobleman (the young Tintoretto painted the family palazzo), a hydraulic engineer and a minor historian. Zen’s hometown, Venice, previously a sea power, was shifting to a land-based economy at the time of his birth in 1515, and had taken control of most of northern Italy. A new doge, Andrea Gritti, was presiding over a period of renewal that stimulated the appetite for knowledge of a world emerging from medieval darkness. Di Robilant is excellent on the contextual background and its relevance to the text under scrutiny.
Zen’s book told the story of a voyage undertaken by his great-great-great-grandfather Antonio Zen and Antonio’s brother Messer Nicolò, Venetian aristocrats who may (or may not) have sailed around the North Atlantic in the 1380s and 1390s. Travel narratives were popular in the Age of Discovery, and the book about this ancestral journey sold well. (Zen wrote it, unusually, in Italian rather than Latin.)
The book can be ordered on Amazon : Venetian Navigators: The Voyages of the Zen Brothers to the Far North
Auschwitz Survivor Antonio Boldrin /
VENICE, ITALY - APRIL 03: Details of the hands of Auschwitz Survivor Antonio Boldrin seen on top of a book about Auschwitz on April 3, 2012 in Venice, Italy. Sentenced to death and already in front of the execution fire squad Boldrin was rescued by the Russian Army and was one of the few lucky prisoners that managed to survive the concentration camp. Few more pictures are here
Today organized by Olivolo Antonio told his adventure to students of the Liceo Tommaseo
Earth Hour Yo Venice! /
More than 6,000 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide switched off their lights for Earth Hour, sending a powerful message for action on climate change. It also ushered in a new era with members going Beyond the Hour to commit to lasting action for the planet. Without a doubt, it’s shown how great things can be achieved when people come together for a common cause.
ELLIOTT ERWITT: "Personal Best" /
After the MEP in Paris, the Reina Sofia in Madrid and the ICP in New York, this anthological show, a tribute to the extraordinary career of the photoreporter, a member of the historic Magnum agency since 1953, arrives in Venice in the splendid early 20th century Venetian dwelling, now open again following protracted restoration.
Around 140 photographs, witnessing a long career and the past six decades of history of our world and contemporary civilization, are on display in a selection under the direct curatorship of their author.
Few pictures on my archive are here and on Getty Images are here
| Place | CASA DEI TRE OCI |
| Address | Giudecca 43 |
| Boat stop | Linea 2 Actv Zitelle |
| Times | Opening hours: 10am - 7pm. Saturday 10am - 10pm. |
Newly appointed Patriarch arrives in Venice /
The Patriarch of Venice (Latin: Patriarcha Venetiarum, Italian: Patriarca di Venezia) is the ordinary bishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Venice. The bishop is one of the few Patriarchs in the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church (currently five Latin sees, including the Diocese of Rome itself, are accorded the title of Patriarchate, together with Lisbon, the East Indies and Jerusalem). Currently, the only advantage of this purely formal title is the bishop's place of honour in papal processions.
The Arrival of Francesco Moraglia Patriarch of Venice (Few more images are here)
The diocese of Venice was created in 774 as suffragan of the Patriarchate of Grado. It was only in 1457[1] that, in consideration of the political influence of the city, its bishops were accorded the title of patriarch by the Pope.
By tradition, the Patriarch of Venice is created a cardinal at the consistory following his appointment, although the Pope is not bound by law to do so. A large number of the prelates holding this office have been elected Pope. Three of these were in the 20th century alone: Pope Pius X (1903), Pope John XXIII (1958) and Pope John Paul I (1978).
Risotto di bruscandoli - Hop Shoots Risotto /
This is a very old recipe from the Venetian countryside!“Bruscandoli” are the end tips of the hop plants. This plant can be found easily in the Venetian countryside. This risotto can only be made during April since this is the time when the hop shoots. During the month of April the vegetable stalls of Rialto Bridge are full of these plants.
This is a very old recipe from the Venetian countryside (feel free to substitute the shoots with any other sort of root or shoot you like).
Ingredients: a big bunch of bruscandoli (hop shoots) about 300 gr, 300 gr. Rice Vialone Nano or Arborio, ½ an onion, 1 lt. Broth, a bit of butter, 1/2/ glass of wine, olive oil.
First of all rinse and chop in small pieces the hop shoots. Then sauté for few minutes in a large pan with a little bit of oil. Remove from eat.
Now place the butter in a sauce pan and melt it. Add the rice, sauté for a minute, add the wine and sauté then add the shoots and a bit of the broth. Stir and slowly start adding the the broth waiting every time for it to be absorbed by the rice. Keep stirring the rice until it is cooked through. Turn the heat off, add a little bit of butter and a good spoonful of parmisan.
Serve hot. This risotto must not be dry, but at the contrary quite smooth
Avere una Bella Cera at Fortuny /
The exhibition at Museum Fortuny in Venice opens tomorrow 10th March until June 25 and is the world's first exhibition on wax portraits analizing a field that has been studied very little by art historians.The world’s first exhibition on wax portraits will analyse a field that has been studied very little by art historians: that of life-size wax figures. This fascinating subject has recently attracted the attention of numerous contemporary artists, but has never had a specific exhibition devoted to it.
The project was inspired by two fortunate coincidences, the existence of a series of life- size wax portraits in Venice’s public collections and churches, and the centenary of the publication of Geschichte der Porträtbildnerei in Wachs (“History of Portraiture in Wax”), written by the famous Viennese art historian Julius von Schlosser and the first work devoted to the history of wax portraits. A superb Italian translation of Schlosser’s work by Andrea Daninos has recently been published, complete with an extensive and detailed critical commentary.
The Venetian exhibition is the outcome of more than three years of research and, for the first time, it brings together nearly all of the extant sculptures in Italy, most of which unpublished or never displayed before.
Diana Vreeland at Fortuny /
Press preview today of this great exhibition of such style and fashion icon.This is the first major exhibition to be dedicated to Diana Vreeland. Open until June 25th at Palazzo Fortuny it will explore the many sides of her work and seek to offer a fresh approach with which to interpret the elements of her style and thinking.
This is the first major exhibition to be dedicated to the extraordinary and complex Diana Vreeland (Paris, 1903 – New York, 1989). It will explore the many sides of her work and seek to offer a fresh approach with which to interpret the elements of her style and thinking.
The title stresses the need today to decontextualise the many facets that go to make up her kaleidoscopic career and to reconnect them in a new reading of the multiple meanings underlying her now legendary professional and human experience.
The exhibition will not limit itself to displaying some garments, although it will indeed be possible to admire many and extraordinary items; it will instead ‘short-circuit’ time, the articles on show and their ‘aura’, showing how fashion is both a complex phenomenon and the perfect observatory for interpreting the tastes and trends of contemporary society. The aim being to restore a sense of the “magnificent gait” with which Diana Vreeland processed through fashion of the 20th century, initially during her years at “Harper’s Bazaar” and “Vogue”, and then in her role as Special Consultant for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
Wax portraits at Fortuny /
The world’s first exhibition on wax portraits will analyse a field that has been studied very little by art historians: that of life-size wax figures. This fascinating subject has recently attracted the attention of numerous contemporary artists, but has never had a specific exhibition devoted to it.
The project was inspired by two fortunate coincidences, the existence of a series of life- size wax portraits in Venice’s public collections and churches, and the centenary of the publication of Geschichte der Porträtbildnerei in Wachs (“History of Portraiture in Wax”), written by the famous Viennese art historian Julius von Schlosser and the first work devoted to the history of wax portraits. A superb Italian translation of Schlosser’s work by Andrea Daninos has recently been published, complete with an extensive and detailed critical commentary.
The Venetian exhibition is the outcome of more than three years of research and, for the first time, it brings together nearly all of the extant sculptures in Italy, most of which unpublished or never displayed before.
An Introduction to Rembrandt Lighting For Portrait Photographers /
If you’re a beginning photographer, chances are you’re still in the process of building up your arsenal of studio lighting. Being able to get the most out of a small lighting setup can be crucial to your photography. For those working with a one or two light setup, Rembrandt lighting can help you achieve professional quality portraits with a minimal amount of equipment.
St. Mark's Basin and the Gondolier /
On the trail of Tintoretto /
An exhibition honouring 16th-century Venetian master Tintoretto opens in Rome today Saturday, following the painter's career from his days as an ambitious disciple of Titian to a bitter old age. "Tintoretto was the most controversial painter of his time," Melania Mazzucco, one of the organisers, told reporters in the Italian capital. Tintoretto, whose real name was Jacopo Robusti, owed his nickname to his father who was a manufacturer of dyes ("tinta" in Italian). He became one of the greatest practitioners of the Venetian style.
Tintoretto used to live meters away from Campo Dei Mori where he used to walk probably every day
The exhibition, which runs until June 10, begins with one of his monumental works "The Miracle of the Slave" (1548), measuring 4.16 metres by 5.44 metres (14 feet by 18 feet) and normally jealously guarded in Venice. The choice of putting a slave at the centre of the painting instead of the saint who is rescuing him was considered scandalous at the time.Another masterpiece in the show is "The Theft of the Body of Saint Mark" (1564) showing a group of Christians in Alexandria taking away the saint's body from a bonfire that has been miraculously extinguished by rain. Apart from religious and mythological subjects, Tintoretto also painted hundreds of portraits -- a source of revenue from aristocrats, writers and celebrities that he used for contacts and protection. Tintoretto's pride was legendary: he once turned down a knighthood from French king Henry III because he did not want to kneel down and he refused to allow his beloved daughter Marietta to leave his home. His final years were cruel to the painter. Marietta died in 1590, followed by his son Giovanni Battista. His last self-portrait shows a somber and humbled Tintoretto, his face marked by the harshness of life. His last child died in a convent in 1652, leaving him without descendants.
Volo dell'Angelo or Flight of the Angel /
The Flight of the Angel is an event usually held on Shrove Thursday of Carnival (grasso) this has its roots due to an event that happened in the mid 16th century. In those years, during various exhibitions, a Turkish acrobat did something that stupefied the Venetians.With the only aid of a pole he walked on a rope from a boat tied in Riva degli Schiavoni to the top of St. Mark’s Tower and then from the tower to the Doges Palaces balcony, as a tribute to the doge.
- A Venetian girl performs as 'Colombina' during the Volo dell'Angelo, as she flies down from San Marco Tower to the square during the official opening of Venice Carnival (Marco Secchi)
The exhibition changed its name and became “The Flight of the Turk”, it has been held every year with various changes, first it was made only by professional acrobats and lately by common people that wanted to show their ability and bravery.
The exhibition name changed into “The Flight of the Angel” when for the first time an acrobat dressed with angel wings tied to a rope was let down the tower, at the end of the descent the doge himself gave the angel impersonator a gift.
The event changed its name again into “Volo della Colombina” (“The Flight of the dove”) starting from 1759. In that year the acrobat dressed as the angel fell down over the horrified crowd.Since then a wooden dove substitute the men.After the fall of the Republic the event was banned (as many other traditions) until recent times.
Starting from 2001 “The flight of the Dove” become again “The Flight of the Angel” with the reintroduction of a real person instead of the wooden dove, staging the old ritual of the homage of the sceptre to the Doge. This announced the beginning of the Carnival of Venice with a triumph of confetti and coloured air balloons. The event is now held on the week-end previous to Shrove Thursday and marks the beginning of the festivities.
Procession of the Marie - Venice Carnival /
This feast has got very ancient origins and it is just related to a fact occurred many centuries ago. Since the dawn of the history of Venice on the Day of the Purification of Mary on the 2nd of February, it was the custom to consecrate all the marriages on one day and in the Episcopal seat of the time: St. Peter di Castello Cathedral. On the same day the marriages of twelve poor girls were consecrated: for such occasion they were sumptuously dressed and bejewelled, sometimes even with the jewels (borrowed) of the treasure of St. Mark. Just during one of such celebrations, probably in the year 973, the area was attacked by some pirates who abducted the brides with their jewels. People soon hastened to rescue and get back the precious jewellery and they victorious came back. And it is just in honour of such victory on the pirates that the Feast of the Marie was initiated, establishing the draw of the twelve young girls among the most beautiful ones and belonging to the low social classes, as well as the draw of the aristocrat families that would see to their dressing up for the occasion.
Once they were ready, on the established day, they reached the chief churches in Venice, while escorted by a procession of boats, in order to attend solemn religious ceremonies. Anywhere they went many refreshments with music and dancing were arranged, as the fact of approaching them was considered as a good omen. The importance of such feast, which during the years came to last even nine days, was so remarkable that it attracted many strangers too, who used to hasten in order to have the opportunity of admiring the wonderful girls. Just because the Venetians, and as above mentioned, not only Venetian people were more interested in courting the brides rather than watching the religious ceremonies, later they were replaced with not so desirable wooden statues. Obviously the male population reacted disdainfully and angrily because of such replacement, so that the Republic was obliged to issue, in 1349, a law which forbade the throwing of vegetables at the Procession of the wooden Marie!!
Venice Museums 2012 program /
Presentation today by Walter Hartsarich President of Fondazione Musei Civici di Venezia of the 2012 program.There are many scheduled events but the highlights should be two exhibitions at Museo Correr the first about Klint and the second about Francesco Guardi.....
Others include «Primavera a Palazzo Fortuny: avere una bella cera» (Museo Fortuny, 10 marzo-28 giugno), «Sartorio e Venezia» (Ca’ Pesaro, primavera 2012), «San Michele in isola. Cenacolo di umanisti o ‘caput ordinis’ dei Camaldolesi?» (maggio-agosto 2012), «Moda e cinema 1840-1940» (Museo di Palazzo Mocenigo, settembre-dicembre 2012), «Uecker e Castellani» (Ca’ Pesaro, autunno 2012) e «Fortuny e Wagner» (Museo Fortuny, novembre 2012-marzo 2013).
In the photograph Mr Walter Hartsarich during a portrait session ahead of today press Conference
Queen Elizabeth II marks 60 years on throne /
TODAY marks 60 years since a quietly spoken 25-year-old princess named Elizabeth became the British .
While visiting Kenya with her husband, Prince Philip, en route Down Under, Elizabeth received news on February 6, 1952 that her father, King George VI, had died. I believe she has visited Venice in 1961 and in 1984.The following is HM The Queen official message.
Today, as I mark 60 years of your Queen, I am writing to thank you for the wonderful support and encouragement that you have given to me and Prince Phillip over these years and to tell you how deeply moved we have been to receive so many kind messages about the Diamond Jubilee.
In this special year, as I dedicate myself anew to your service, I hope that we will all be reminded of the power of togetherness and the convening strength of family, friendship and good neighbourliness, examples of which I have been fortunate to see throughout my reign and which my family and I look forward to seeing in many forms as we travel throughout the United Kingdom and the wider Commonwealth.
I hope also that this Jubilee year will be a time to give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear head and warm heart as we join together in our celebrations.
I send my sincere good wishes to you all.
ELIZABETH R.
