Fine Art In Italy

In Italy the monuments, statues, and even the houses on the corners scream of past lives and stories, the raw emotions and struggles of times before us. Italy has the mindset or at least the outward appearance of seeming to be steeped in the arts, but is this really the case? Do all the Italians care about the Fine Arts? After having lived with and among them for three weeks, it would be safe to say that there are those who do in fact revel in the arts and fully enjoy being surrounded by them, while there are those who do not give it a second thought, a thought that they might be living in one of the most art enriched area. So how should I, as a Christian and an American, interpret this culture and did it impact me any or was my entire experience …show more content…
In Italy, more specifically Florence and Rome since those were the two main cities that I visited for the arts, the arts are held to a level of esteem while at the same time being taken for granted on the street. There are museums on almost every city block, art galleries clog the main drags, and statues and random paintings littered alleyways and plazas. This everyday immersion in the arts contrasts the American culture in most art is found within museums or in private collections, not out for the public to see without most times paying a price. This disconnect between the reason for art, can be seen both cultures with how they handle the topic of the arts especially for example when raising their children. For an Italian, especially living in Italy, the arts are ingrained as a part of who they are, it is in their blood and their history. While for most Americans, the arts are something that is from an outside source, they do not have any personal connection within their history to the creation or continuation of the …show more content…
It is a portrait of Martin Luther done by Lucas Cranach the Elder during one of his workshops. The painting actually titled Martin Luther was created around the same time that the Madonna with the Long Neck was created. When comparing the two there is an obvious visual difference in the execution and style of painting. Unlike with the Madonna with the Long Neck, Martin Luther is portrayed in his portrait with proper proportions and coloring. There is no stylization or manipulation to the figure or no mystery as to the meaning of the painting. Martin Luther is depicted as himself, looking healthy and robust, showing him to be an honest man, someone that is himself and means what he believes. Cranach was a friend of Luther 's, I believe, and saw that he was making history. Cranach had the foresight to know that change was coming and that he, as an artist, had the opportunity to help his friend out and document the change. This shift from the purpose of Parmigianino’s painting to that of Cranach’s shows the impact of the Reformation on the artists along with the church, from paintings having religious content to possessing subject matter that was more of a historical account. To me this slow slide told of times changing of the mind and not just of the heart or religion. Sometime I believe that cultures get too caught up in what they are told to