A special two-part virtual series on Thursdays, April 8 and 22. Presented by Carla Gambescia. 04/08 • Thursday 7 pm, Part 1: Humanizing Art – Giotto di Bondone; 04/22 • Thursday 7 pm, Part 2: Art as Propaganda in Baroque Rome. Organized by Casa Belvedere

Carla Gambescia is the author of La Dolce Vita University: An Unconventional Guide to Italian Culture from A to Z, Silver Prize winner of “Best Travel Book of the Year” awarded by the North American Travel Journalists Association. A regular lecturer on topics of Italian cultural interest, Carla has written about and toured every region of Italy on foot or by bicycle and curates the photoblog Postcards from the Boot.

Part 1: Humanizing Art – Giotto di Bondone

Considered to be the “Father of the Renaissance,” Giotto di Bondone was one of the earliest artists to paint more realistic figures rather than the flat, stylized, decorative images of the medieval and Byzantine periods. Like his contemporaries Dante and Boccaccio, his art drew from life with its attention to natural representations of the human form and emotional realism and expression. Recognized in his own time as a revolutionary, Giotto’s work was transformative in opening the door to the Renaissance. According to Giorgio Vasari, it was Giotto who restored the link between art and nature. Join us for an in-depth exploration of Giotto’s fresco cycle of the Arena Chapel in Padua (an easy day trip from Venice), considered to be his greatest work.

Part 2: Art as Propaganda in Baroque Rome

Two of the 17th century’s most drama-loving artists, painter Caravaggio and sculptor Bernini, both pushed their respective mediums to new heights while working in Rome under a series of surprisingly artistically adventurous popes. Both are synonymous with the Baroque era. “Bad boy” Caravaggio had to flee Rome after he killed a man in a brawl, while Bernini died an old man, beloved in his adopted home. We will compare and contrast their art and legacies and explore the broader political and artistic milieu in which they were working. We will also learn the role their respective artistic genius played in furthering the Counter-Reformation, as well as art, photography and cinema today.