Italian Art for Travelers
Your passport to culture, history, and art

Gerriann Brower

Four Popes that Built Rome

Four popes did much to shape the Rome we see today. The della Rovere, Farnese, Borghese, and the Barberini families each placed their own ma

Gerriann Brower

From Renaissance Self-Portrait to Selfie

Are selfies an evolution of the self-portrait, or do they lack the cleverness and creativity of early modern self-images? The Italian Nation

Gerriann Brower

Michelangelo and Titian: Endings

Michelangelo and Titian, the two sixteenth century powerhouse competitive artists, decided to create their own memorial as the end of their

Gerriann Brower

Made in Florence: Renaissance Clothing

The merchant and banking classes gained their fortunes largely from the textile trade and in turn became patrons of art. Artists paid homage

Gerriann Brower

Botticelli and Renaissance Florence

Sandro Botticelli was a go-getter and lived in time when Florence had no lack of talent and innovators. Competition was intense for commissi

Gerriann Brower

Leonardo’s Last Supper: Why it’s Magnificent

Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper is one of his most admired and recognizable art works. It is iconic, has been reproduced endlessly, parodied

Gerriann Brower

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

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

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

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...