David Risley Studio

Last week I spent 4 days in heaven (Florence and Arezzo). I focused on seeing paintings, mostly frescos, that are still in their original location. It was very emotional to be with paintings I’ve known for years from books and postcards on my studio wall, like meeting family members face to face for the first time, in their home. Standing where the artists stood while making them is overwhelming. All the artists and writers who have seen these paintings during the hundreds of years since they were made have stood where you’re standing. I can’t wait to go back. The food wasn’t bad either. This is a tiny sample of the things I saw and hundreds of photos I took. 1 Filippo Lippi (Brancacci chapel), 2 Pontormo, 3 Andrea da Firenze (spanish chapel), 4/5 Piero della Francesca (Arezzo), 6/7 San Domenico church Arezzo with one of 10 known works by Cimabue - door open, no guard, no priest, just there as it has been since c 1267. 8 Lorenzo da Monaco, 9 Giotto campanile, 10 Benozzo Gozzoli (Magi chapel), 11 Masaccio holy trinity (up close), 12 Ghirlandaio, 13 Nardo di Cione, 14 Andrea da Firenze (Spanish Chapel), 15 Uc***lo, 16 Lorenzo Sciorina, 17/18 Fra Angelico (San Marco), 19 Giotto crucifix (Santa Croce), 20 Bronzino.