Art in Tuscany
Art in Tuscany. The heart of the Renaissance, Tuscany has an incredible number of artistic riches. THe famous galleries like the Uffizi in Florence and the Pinacoteca in Siena are well known, but there are a myriad of hidden delights in the small villages. Closer to the current day, Dan Wrightson has been painting and sketching Tuscany for decades now, you will find some of his work here, as well as paintings from our clients.
Dan’s Italian Sketches
Since 1982 I’ve been sketching Tuscan buildings and scenes. Here is a small selection of my favourites. I always sketch en-plein air, sitting at the scene for up to 4 hours to get the painting done all in one go.
The pregnant Madonna of Monterchi
A long while ago a well-respected Roman doctor told me a story of his youth. He had been dispatched from Rome to visit a small village near Arezzo. The inhabitants were all complaining of “bubons”, unsightly growths on their necks and faces, and he was asked to find out why He stayed for a while, discovered that their water source was contaminated and cured the village. One of the villagers, in gratitude, offered to show him their local secret and lead him to a small, dilapidated chapel. Kicking the doors open the villager stood back, proudly pointing at the fresco inside. It was a masterpiece by Piero della Francesca, and…
Painting Villas in Tuscany
We often receive postcards or notes from our customers to thank us for finding their holiday villa. This summer we had a particularly delightful card from some clients who had stayed at Cuculo, a large villa for 8 south of Siena. Liam Thompson, a painter and tutor had been staying there with his family and painted this beautiful watercolour of the swimming pool at the villa. They made a card of it and sent us one in the post. It’s a wonderful card and a wonderful painting. It’s also a pleasure for me as I really like Cuculo but it doesn’t come across in the photos. I’ve been meaning to…
