Gerriann Brower
Michelangelo: Artist, Poet, Lover
Was Michelangelo gay? It’s complicated. How does one say Michelangelo is gay when there isn’t even a word for it in the language of his...
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Italian Art for Travelers
Your passport to culture, history, and art
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Gerriann Brower
Feb 10, 202216 min read
That's Amore!
Meet three couples, real and mythical, and their romantic stories: Federico and Battista’s arranged marriage, Apollo’s longing for Daphne, a
Gerriann Brower
Jan 4, 20229 min read
Caesar's Calendar
Even the humble calendar has an intriguing history. Meet the Caesar and the Pope who shaped the calendar to what it is today.
Gerriann Brower
Dec 21, 202113 min read
Saturn, Solstice, and Christmas
December means special foods, decorating, libations, and gift giving. Families and neighbors gather to celebrate time together. December...
Gerriann Brower
Nov 22, 202110 min read
Eat Like an Italian
Salty fermented fish sauces really made Roman meals special. A piping hot bowl of cinnamon spiced pasta satisfied the medieval appetite. Pe
Gerriann Brower
Nov 1, 202111 min read
How a Banker Lost His Head
The Bargello Museum gave me the creeps. Why ? It could be because banker Lorenzo Tornabuoni lost his head in the courtyard. Find out where h
Gerriann Brower
Jun 7, 20218 min read
Afterthoughts on the Illicit Art Trade
With over 55 UNESCO World Heritage sites, is it any surprise Italy’s art has been looted and still is? A statue illicitly taken from Italy w
Gerriann Brower
May 30, 202120 min read
Finders Keepers: Looted Italian Art
A krater, an amphora, and a marble sculpture tell the story of the illegal art trade in Italy. The Italian art squad nabbed the culprits an
Gerriann Brower
Mar 31, 202116 min read
Art History Mysteries
Four mysteries: one is a painting with no clear meaning, an unexplained self-portrait, Botticelli's muse, and a da Vinci painting that might
Gerriann Brower
Mar 3, 202112 min read
The Meander Tattoo
A better title for this post is “How My Wife Ended up with a Fifth Century Mosaic Tattooed on Her Foot.” It’s an odd connection between...
Gerriann Brower
Jan 28, 20217 min read
The Zen of Art
Take some time to really look at art. Observation along with understanding some visual clues artists embed in their work can draw you into a
Gerriann Brower
Dec 17, 202018 min read
King David
How did artists represent the Old Testament King David? As giant slayer? Lustful king? Composer of Psalms? Let’s look at some depictions
Gerriann Brower
Nov 19, 202018 min read
From Caesar to Mona Lisa
How would you like to be remembered? That selfie you took on vacation, a wedding photo, or image from a family gathering? We consciously...
Gerriann Brower
Sep 24, 202012 min read
Mary's Miracles
A boy from Lombardy wanders into a river and falls in. His parents are desperate to locate him. Later he is found by his family standing...
Gerriann Brower
Aug 18, 202017 min read
Painting Italian Style
If you visit Italy you can’t miss the frescoes. Fresco paintings decorate castles, Roman villas, public buildings, and of course,...
Gerriann Brower
Jun 26, 202014 min read
The Old Man and the Dome
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti (1475-1564) is a mythic figure, the creator of the Sistine Chapel frescoes and sculptures such as the Da
Gerriann Brower
May 11, 202011 min read
Plague and Pandemics
What does Covid-19 and plague in Italy have in common? A lot it turns out, including disagreements about what to do or not do, and what reme
Gerriann Brower
Apr 16, 20205 min read
Honoring Raphael
April 6, 2020 marks the 500th anniversary of the death of Raphael (1483-1520), Renaissance artist extraordinaire. Italy planned grand...
Gerriann Brower
Mar 26, 202010 min read
Artemisia: Rule Breaker
The hidden history of women artists continues with Artemisia Gentileschi, the most studied and famous of the sixteenth and seventeenth...
Gerriann Brower
Mar 24, 20209 min read
Trailblazing Women Artists
Welcome to the hidden history of women artists. Were there really women artists in the 1600s and 1700s? Yes, there were. White male...
Gerriann Brower
Jan 29, 20209 min read
Picturing Venice III
Venice became a mecca for European and American artists from 1860-1915. Approximately 90 American artists worked in Venice producing over 3,
Gerriann Brower
Jan 19, 20208 min read
Picturing Venice II
Some artists came to Venice to make money, and some came because they were drawn to the beauty. Some were destitute like James McNeil Whistl
Gerriann Brower
Jan 13, 20209 min read
Picturing Venice I
How did Venice become such an iconic symbol and why do 30 million visitors swarm the city each year? Blame it on the Brits and the Grand Tou
Gerriann Brower
Aug 6, 20198 min read
2000 Years of Roman History, Part Five: Straw Angels
St. Peter’s is a showcase of seventeenth century Italian art and the two personalities who put a defining plan in place to finish it. What P
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