ONLINE PROGRAM THROUGH ZOOM

The Uffizi: Patronage, Architecture, plus Giotto to Botticelli (lecture 1 of 2)

Elaine Ruffolo, Renaissance art historian 

The oldest museum collection in the world can also lay claim to preeminence in the quality of the works it contains, boasting some of the greatest masterpieces of the Florentine renaissance. Almost from the start, the Medici began to store their huge collection in parts of the building. There are art galleries in the world with more works of art (the Uffizi boasts around 1,800) but the Uffizi overwhelms by the fact that every one of its paintings is worth looking at. The Uffizi gallery is also unique from the architectural point of view: in fact, it is laid out in the shape of a “U” with very long arms in a spectacular location between Piazza della Signoria and the Arno River. The windows of its three corridors offer wonderful views of the heart of the city, and visitors to the museum are exposed to a constant dialogue between the interior and the surrounding architectural landscape. A stroll through the galleries is like a stroll through the history of art beginning with Giotto and ending with Caravaggio. Elaine Ruffolo will discuss aspects of this grand gallery, from the patronage of the Medici family, the innovative architecture of Vasari and in examination of the best of the remarkable painting collection.

$15 fee for guests and subscribers (no fee for members)