Near our apartment, we have discovered several art studios. One studio is home to Florentine artist Gianfranco Mello. We visited the studio not long ago and viewed some of his work. The paintings are large and the style is Impressionist, as you can see below.
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| Scene of Florence by Gianfranco Mello |
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| Self-portrait by Gianfranco Mello |
Below is a photo of Mello's studio, a large, ground floor space.
After visiting the studio, we learned something interesting about the studio. It was once the studio of the acclaimed 16th century sculptor Giambologna. The artist was born Jean de Boulogne in 1529 in Flanders. In 1553, he settled in Florence and never left. In fact, his tomb is in the church at the end of our street.
Giambologna's influences included Michelangelo during a sojourn in Rome and his benefactors in Florence were the Medici family. The Medici and their court artist/architect Giorgio Vasari recognized the genius of Giambologna. As a result, the Medici kept him busy with commissions, provided him a home, workshop and school and even made Giambologna an original member of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno in Florence in 1563.
Giambologna's can be seen all over Florence and elsewhere in Italy. Here are a few samples:
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| Oceanus, or Neptune, by Giambologna |
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| Flying Mercury by Giambologna |
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| The Rape of the Sabine Women by Giambologna |
One thing we have learned during Year 2 in Florence is that history is everywhere in the heart of Florence. Who knew?
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