Museums: The Uffizi #2

During another visit to the Uffizi, we saw other Renaissance masterpieces, along with art from other periods.  Here are photos of some of the paintings that we especially liked.

A quick story about the dude in the painting above, a real caduzzo.  If you look closely, the Duke has an oddly shaped nose.  In a tournament, the Duke was badly scarred on the right side of his face and lost his right eye, hence, he was painted in profile.  After the injury, he could no longer serve effectively as a military commander because he had a blind side.  His blind side also meant that he could be easily attacked by an assassin.  So, he had his surgeons remove part of the bridge of his nose to improve his field of vision.  He returned to military service and avoided assassination.  That is one tough dude. 

In the Uffizi, you can touch some of the artwork.  One example is Botticelli's Birth of Venus.  Below is photo of a 2x3 foot relief of the painting for a visitor with impaired or no vision to touch. 

The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli (1486), restored in October 2016 and placed in a large renovated room in the Uffizi

Saint Dominic by Cosme Tura (1480).  Susan worked for a Dominican university in Florida and also went on a retreat to a Dominican monastery in southeastern France.  Also, Dominicans played a prominent role in the history of Florence. So, we simply  had to photograph this portrait of St. Dominic.         

A special exhibit at the Uffizi includes numerous 19th and 20th century works.  One painting caught our eye.  The painting below appears to be of Whistler's mother before she got old and took to always sitting in a chair.

One last item.  Because the Uffizi is a top tourist attraction, it is guarded by soldiers.  They are heavily armed and appear ready for action.   Soldiers also guard other locations with lots of tourists, such as the train station, and also the synagogue near our apartment.