Venice

I traveled up to Venice last weekend so I could attend an art history conference. I also made a few day trips in the area to see several frescoes relevant to my dissertation.
 

There's a reason Venice is such a cliche-- it's beautiful!

This is the longest amount of time I've spent in Venice at one time (a total of 6 days). Venice is so strange-- a lot of the time you are walking around in areas like the one pictured, and can easily forget that you are on an island until you cross one of the hundreds of bridges. It is such a weird place-- there's no real nature (no trees planted, no parks, etc.), and many of the streets are so tiny you have to squeeze through. Also, at night, unless you are in the immediate area of San Marco, which I was fortunate to not be, the streets are deserted and you walk around in isolation in this foggy other-world. I re-fell-in-love with Venice this trip, but also realized that my affection is conditional on small doses, meaning that while I love this city, I can only be there for so long before it gets old.






Verrochio's bronze monument to the condottiere Bartolommeo Colleoni.


The Scuola Grande di San Marco, once a meeting house for monks, now a hospital. The facade was designed by the Lombardi brothers and has some great sculptural trompe l'oeil.


Each of the scenes on the bottom seem to take place within an archway or a colonnade, but they are actually flat. It's all an illusion.


The lion sticks out a little, but the rest is flat.




Photographing from the side gives away the trick.


Santa Maria dei Miracoli peeking out in the corner.


It's difficult to get a full shot of the facade because there isn't a lot of room in front of the church. Typical for Venice, where open space is at a premium.


Inside a different church, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, with a view of Titan at the high altar.


I'm not a huge fan of Venetian painting. I mean don't get me wrong, this is beautiful and is a major work, arguably Titian's most important, but meh.


Venetian architecture, however, is a different story. The fabulous late-baroque church Santa Maria della Salute.


It's insane with all of its detail.


The inside is fabulous, with minimal decoration so the focus remains on the architecture itself.


San Giorgio Maggiore, which occupies an island across from Piazza San Marco.


One of only two churches by Palladio, the interior is absolutely breathtaking.


Completely minimalistic inside, again, to keep attention on the architectural lines and forms.




Love.


View from the island, looking towards the Doges Palace.


San Zaccaria, near my friend Michael's apartment.


Closeup of the colored marble and relief work on the facade. Use of colored stone is a trademark of Venetian architecture.


Interior San Zaccaria.




The decoration is a bit bizarre, with panel paintings covering the entire side walls. The painting lit up between the white columns is by Bellini, and is gorgeous.


The Doges Palace and a lamp post, both beautifully pink in the evening.


The Redentore, Palladio's other church, in the distance, at dusk.


Santa Maria della Salute in the distance.


There's a reason Venetian painters focused on color rather than drawing. How could you not with a landscape like this?