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| St. Mark's Venice, 1908 Arthur Streeton [1867-1943] |
This is one of my favourite paintings in the collection of the Qld Art Gallery,
one that is almost always on display.
It is Impressionist in style and subject matter, a painting by an Australian artist of a fashionable middle class engaged in pursuit of leisure, part of the spectacle of city life.
It is Venice in the dying years of the Belle Epoque, the golden period in European social history before the First World War.
Sir Arthur Streeton trained in Melbourne and painted with a group known as the Heidelberg School, who were influenced by the French plein aire artists.
He is usually known for his Australian landscapes which are full of vitality, colour and light. His own distinctive way captured beautiful golden sunlight in white, creams and yellows.
After initial success, Streeton travelled to London via Cairo and Italy, where he painted this lovely picture.
His abilities with capturing the Australian sunlight were put to great effect in his version of St. Marks, basking in the morning sun.
Look at the strong diagonal line, as he sets up a black and white contrast - St. Marks VS the people in the shade.
People who remind us of the Parisian paintings of Pisarro, Manet or Monet, painted in a sketchy way, enjoying cafe life in the square.
And soon, we will be going there!
Well, not next week, but in a couple of months...
I am getting nothing done, because I am sitting around eating figs and reading travel books, making plans, and trying to choose hotels online.
I give myself a headache, going from map to google, from brochure to tripadviser.
I know all those wonderful works of art which I have admired from afar, studied at university and wrote essays about, are there for me to see at last!
Of course, we have to choose wisely. Time will be short and a lifetime would be required to see it all.
But the Red Cardinals are not getting any younger, so we have decided this year not to go visiting our beloved daughter and the Canadian grandsons, but to live the dream in Italy...
and Paris..
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Got any travel tips for me?
XXX
Dear Patricia - how exciting - figs seem to be the right fruit to be indulging in when dreaming of Italy.
ReplyDeleteI love John Kent's Venice - it is illustrated by him in such a way that as you walk down a canal he shows the different palaces on each side. He tells you all about them, and which can be visited. He also takes you down the little unknown byways.
It is out of print now, but I picked up a hardback copy, almost like new, on Amazon for practically nothing. It is a good size, not too big.
Thank you Rosemary, I'll look for John Kent - Amazon is amazing for such items. I do like to know the history of every place I visit, especially the old buildings, and I know I will adore Venice.
DeleteI thought figs were appropriate too!!
You are going to have a great time! The food, the art, the people...all the things that make going to a foreign country exciting! As far as tips go, for sure one of mine would be to pack light. I now travel with clothes that can be washed out in a sink and dry overnight. I also pack one of those extra carry on bags - the kind that folds up on itself and can become a small packet when you don't need it. That way I have something to bring home souvenirs (in my case this is usually yarn) without having to take bigger pieces of luggage to accommodate it. I'm so excited for you!
ReplyDeleteKristie, I am so excited to be going! I always reduce my travel wardrobe to the minimum, and at least it will be summer not the depth of winter this time. Good tip re the foldup bag - I have a few of those about. Luggage is key these days, with weight limitations on the airlines.
DeleteIt must be a wrench to have to forego the Canada trip, Patricia, but an art-lover like you HAS to see Italy for herself at least once - and of course Paris too. You will have the most wonderful time, especially as late spring is the perfect time to visit, before the weather becomes too hot and the crowds of tourists too dense.
ReplyDeleteA travel tip I'd rather not have to give you is to beware of pickpockets in the most popular tourist spots. No wallet in the back pocket for Mr Cardinal and a handbag worn across your body for you. I'd hate your trip to be spoiled by lost valuables.
Happy planning - it's half the fun. :-)
Perpetua, I have been stuck on Italy ever since I did Renaissance art at uni, years ago. We hope the weather is just right for us, and cooler than here. The cross body bag is something I have avoided, but I know this is the time to do it, and I am looking around for one that is light. So much to think about :)
DeleteI wish you happy planning for your trip to Italy and Paris Patricia.
ReplyDeleteBoth beautiful countries.
Good walking shoes are a must. It will still be a little nippy in the evenings.. so a cardigan or two.
There is so much to see.
The little towns outside of the big cities are also very charming.
happy organising.
love valxxxx
Thank you Val, I went to the travel agent today and things are moving along nicely. I need to get new walking shoes very soon, in order to wear them in, and have been looking for a pink cardigan - surprise!
DeleteI realise we will see only a little, but we will try to enjoy every day as fully as possible. xxxx
Yes, from experience, watch out, on the Metro in Paris particularly, for groups of children distracting you - sadly they're very expert pickpockets (trained by Fagin, perhaps?) Don't carry any more than you really need in the way of money, and keep cards and passports where thay can't be got at (in the hotel safe unless you absolutely have to have them with you). And keep jewellery to a minimum as well. Another thing - the cafés on St Mark's Square are a real rip-off, and Venice on the whole is really expensive, so be prepared! But it's gorgeous, and so is Paris - I especially love Montmartre, having first been there as a teenager (on my own) in 1954 and being captivated by it. You must also do a Bateaux Mouche trip on the Seine - it's magic.
ReplyDeleteOh dear, Helva, trained by Fagin pickpockets we don't need. My friend's husband was robbed in just that way in Paris, on the metro, last year. Hope all our hotels have safes. Minimum jewellery is something I had not thought of, so thank you for that tip. Suitably warned about Venice, we had better just have the coffee and no food with it! This is my third trip to Paris, and I will always love it. Actually we have done the Bateaux Mouche trip and I was so happy I started to cry :)
DeleteOh, Italy is going to be wonderful! I would love to visit someday. I can't wait to see, and read about, your trip. I wouldn't be able to stop eating those fresh figs if I had some. Wow, they're gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jennifer, it is the dream coming true. Looking forward to sharing it on the blog - hotel wi fi permitting. Figs are expensive here, but really only the price of good chocolate!
DeletePatricia,
ReplyDeleteI dream of Italy too. What a wonderful trip you are planning. I can see why you spend a lot of time making plans. Nel wants all of the family to take a trip to Rome someday. She wants us to see the Vatican and many places that we've talked about through the years. Jess actually went to Italy a few years ago. She loved everything about it.
Keep planning and dreaming......and soon it will all come true.
love,
~Sheri
Dear Sheri, I do hope your family all travel to Rome one day; how fantastic would that be? Naturally the Vatican will be one of our main destinations, especially the Sistine Chapel and the Pieta. Lots of planning, but we will get there! xx
DeleteBetter to buy your tickets for the Vatican online and skip the long, long, queues.
DeleteI'm afraid that I have tips for you other than these. Have a wonderful time. Take time to smell the roses, sit in cafe's have a drink and watch the world go by, enjoy yourself, do what YOU want, not what others tell you and enjoy it!! I truly hope that you have a really really great holiday!!!!! xx
ReplyDeleteThank you Amy, sitting in the cafes and soaking up the atmosphere is definitely on the agenda!
DeleteI can definitely recommend Rotterdam :-) Seriously, Italy is lovely, but I can recommend Sardinia even more. Gorgeous! It's Italy thirty years ago. I love it!
ReplyDeleteThe other day I looked up Rotterdam on Google maps to check out exactly where you are :) I will remember Sardinia for the next time; as we are first-timers it really will be Italy 101 for us!
DeleteI'm excited for you. I visited Italy a number of years ago and it was everything I had dreamed it would be. You will have such a great time with all the art to look at. I can't wait to read about your trip.
ReplyDeleteDarla
Thank you Darla, it is good to hear such praise for Italy, and yes, the art is the big attraction. I have probably spoken too soon as it is some time before we go, but making preparations does get a girl excited!
DeleteSo very jealous, I just love Italy I really want to go back. Have fun.
ReplyDeleteEverybody seems to love Italy :))
DeleteHow very special, the Australian light and color!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am happy you have the chance to visit Italy, your dream place, and get to see the special country : )!
Thank you Mette, I am reading up on the places we will visit. It is a big adventure for us!
DeleteI love visiting Italy, but did have to figure out how to escape the omnipresent cigarette smoke, since I am so allergic. I stayed in the convents - really peaceful. And enjoy the food!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, Beryl, you have brought up something I have been wondering about. I am also very allergic to cigarette smoke and have noticed the hotel websites don't mention smoke-free rooms. Do you have a useful website for convents? Bit fearful of eating too much food and growing out of my clothes!
DeleteI will check with my daughter and she if she can remember. Booking ahead of time involved waiting for the one Sister who was proficient in English to get back to us, but we just walked in off the street and got our room. My favorite convent was up a hill on large grounds, but right on the bus line to get in and out of the center of Rome.
DeleteFood in Rome was terrific and not all of it high caloric. And you know about the food in Paris. You just have to walk all over Paris to make up for it.
Oh you are going to love Venice! St Marks and the square are places that actually live up to the pictures that people have painted, and I am sure you will love the picture even more when you are back!
ReplyDelete