Tag Archives: Mannerism
Art history tumbles forward with Giulio Romano’s giants in Mantua
Here’s how they did things in Italy for around 1400 years; popes, baby Jesus, really fancy places to put the popes and all the church people in, saints, more baby Jesus, everyone dies from the plague, more baby Jesus, oh hey, look— some ancient stuff—maybe we should rediscover it, let’s make some art and buildings […]
Kalwaria Zebrzydowska: shrines in the mist
Imagine it’s the early 1600’s, you live in Poland and pilgrimages to the Holy Land are all the rage. Oh man, do you ever want to go to Jerusalem. But it’s not going to happen: you don’t have the money, your health is poor, and your boss won’t give you enough vacation time. Hey, don’t […]
Michelangelo’s strange stairway at the Laurentian Library, Florence
How can a stairway start an architectural revolution? When it’s designed by Michelangelo. Construction on the Laurentian Library of Florence began in 1525, and plans for the vestibule and stairwell to the reading room were conceived by Michelangelo when he was 50 years old. Several architects continued the project, keeping with Michelangelo’s design concept, until […]
Picnic at the Cathedral 