petite danseuse de 14 ans

photos from edgar degas exhibition at palazzina della società promotrice
delle belle arti in torino

renoir in the land of the nereid galatea

'i had experimented with impressionism as much as i could and i concluded that i did not know how to draw or paint. in a word, i was in a cul-de-sac.'

in the year of 1881, renoir came to italy to visit the most famous destinations of art according to delacroix, venice-rome-naples-sicily. the scuderie del castello visconteo in pavia is hosting a selection of the more than five thousand paintings and drawings pierre-auguste renoir made during his life and telling a bit of his appreciation with raphael work (in particular with the triumph of galatea) and the experience he had in these days in italy. 

he says about his trip to italy in a letter to a friend that it was 'something which i should probably have done a long time ago. at least it is clear to me that raphael did not try the impossible, as i do; he did not paint outdoors but rather he studied the sun, because his frescos are filled with it! i on the other hand, by focusing my attention externally, ended up paying too much attention to the small details which in fact obscure the sun instead of exhaling it.'

breakfast at brera

i'm not exactly a fan of christian iconography, so medieval art was something really hard to me to enjoy. but this was just one more case of prejudice about something ignored, and now i'm at peace with ten centuries of art history thanks to my profusion of leisure time (but i should confess that lady marchmain can still not be proud of my religious views). after spending hours feeling that the end would never come of this enormous collection of medieval art owned by the pinacoteca di brera in milano, i have found some details of these paintings, i would like to bring it up

is it a gay couple behind baby jesus? 
-giovanni bellini - madonna col bambino-

this is a huge painting and behind the main scene it is happening so many more interesting things, like a dog barking at a dromedary, which refuses itself to move (?)   
-gentile and giovanni bellini - la predica di s. marco in una piazza di alessandria-

pretty doggy I 
-giovanni mansueti - s. marco battezza aniano-

pretty doggy II 
-veronese - ultima cena-

pretty doggies killing a cat 
-veronese - cena in casa di simone-

pretty doggy III (well, i don't have my dogs with me, right?! and i like dogs!!!!)
-bonifacio veronese - mosè consegnato alla figlia del faraone-

how is this guy still alive? if i were alive with a dagger on my chest, i would probably be doing something more interesting than praying... 
-carlo crivelli - trittico di san domenico-