Statues of naked men
{ May 2011 - Florence, Italy }
I have seen more statues and painting of naked men and women during the trip to Italy, than I have ever seen, and will probably ever see. You just need to scroll through all the photos I have posted under Italy to see some of the many that I have seen. And Florence, the birth place of Renaissance, probably has more statues and paintings of naked men and women, not to mention, of Gods, Goddesses and their children, then any other cities in Italy.
David
If there is one masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture, it has got to be David by Michaelangelo. The 17-feet marble statue of a standing male nude, is definitely an exceptional piece of sculpture. It could probably be due to the position in Galleria dell'Academia that houses the sculpture, or just the tall white polished marble. But I stood right in front of it, and walked around it, a couple of times, awestruck by the imposing and yet relax statue. Muscular and yet gentle.
Photos were not allowed in the gallery, but there was a replica where the original David once stood, in Piazza della Signoria. After seeing the real sculpture, the replica was somehow not as impressive.
Piazza della Signoria
In this artistic city, many of its piazzas are filled with sculptures, and even fountains with sculptures. Even if you are not one to spend lots of time in galleries, you should take a walk in Piazza della Signoria. The piazza has many marble statues of, unsurprisingly, naked men. Apart from a replica of David, Loggia dei Lanzi at one of its corner, is an open-air gallery with many art masterpieces that can be enjoyed for free.
Here are just some of the many sculptures in the piazza.
{ Galleria dell'Academia } The official name is Accademia di Belle Arti (or the Academy of Fine Arts), or better known as Galleria dell'Academia. The main reason to visit the gallery is to admire the marvelous naked statue of David. The gallery is open on Tuesdays to Sundays, from 8.15 am to 6.50 pm. The queue to the gallery may be quite long, and if, like me, you are not willing to queue up when you are on holiday, do make a reservation online with a booking fee of €4.00 above the €6.50 admission ticket.
{ Piazza della Signoria } An open L-shaped square right in front of Palazzo Vecchio, it houses many statues, one more impressive than the next. If you do not wish to spend money to see David in the gallery, you can see its replica here. However, be warned that the replica was not as impressive as the original! There are also many sculptures at Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air sculpture gallery.
I have seen more statues and painting of naked men and women during the trip to Italy, than I have ever seen, and will probably ever see. You just need to scroll through all the photos I have posted under Italy to see some of the many that I have seen. And Florence, the birth place of Renaissance, probably has more statues and paintings of naked men and women, not to mention, of Gods, Goddesses and their children, then any other cities in Italy.
David
If there is one masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture, it has got to be David by Michaelangelo. The 17-feet marble statue of a standing male nude, is definitely an exceptional piece of sculpture. It could probably be due to the position in Galleria dell'Academia that houses the sculpture, or just the tall white polished marble. But I stood right in front of it, and walked around it, a couple of times, awestruck by the imposing and yet relax statue. Muscular and yet gentle.
Photos were not allowed in the gallery, but there was a replica where the original David once stood, in Piazza della Signoria. After seeing the real sculpture, the replica was somehow not as impressive.
Piazza della Signoria
In this artistic city, many of its piazzas are filled with sculptures, and even fountains with sculptures. Even if you are not one to spend lots of time in galleries, you should take a walk in Piazza della Signoria. The piazza has many marble statues of, unsurprisingly, naked men. Apart from a replica of David, Loggia dei Lanzi at one of its corner, is an open-air gallery with many art masterpieces that can be enjoyed for free.
Here are just some of the many sculptures in the piazza.
The Fountain of Neptune by Bartolomeo Ammannati (left)
Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna (right)
Perseus with the Head of Medusa by Benvenuto Cellini
Hercules beating the Centaur by Giambologna
::: Footnotes :::
{ Galleria dell'Academia } The official name is Accademia di Belle Arti (or the Academy of Fine Arts), or better known as Galleria dell'Academia. The main reason to visit the gallery is to admire the marvelous naked statue of David. The gallery is open on Tuesdays to Sundays, from 8.15 am to 6.50 pm. The queue to the gallery may be quite long, and if, like me, you are not willing to queue up when you are on holiday, do make a reservation online with a booking fee of €4.00 above the €6.50 admission ticket.
{ Piazza della Signoria } An open L-shaped square right in front of Palazzo Vecchio, it houses many statues, one more impressive than the next. If you do not wish to spend money to see David in the gallery, you can see its replica here. However, be warned that the replica was not as impressive as the original! There are also many sculptures at Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air sculpture gallery.
