Bronzino in Vancouver
Thursday, April 11, 2019
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| Lucrezia Panciatichi - 1545 -Agnolo di Cosimo, Ufizzi - Florence - Bronwen Marsden - April 11, 2019 |
Sometimes the reinforcement of one’s style comes after the fact. For years my relatives were perplexed by the fact that I photographed our young daughters and then our young granddaughters with nary a smile.
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| Bia de'Medici -1542-1545 -Agnolo di Cosimo, Ufizzi - Florence, Rebeca Stewart July 2005 |
I would cite both 19th century English
photographers, the Reverend Dodgson
and Julia Margaret Cameron, as examples of
the tradition. And I would further explain that in the Victorian era children
were seen as little adults and many had to work under appalling circumstances.
A few years ago I discovered 16th century Florentine
painter Agnolo di Cosimo (November 17,
1503 – November 23, 1572) known as Bronzino. His portraits were stark and his
subjects did not smile.
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| Laura Battiferri - 1560- Agnolo Bronzino, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence - Bronwen Marsden , April 11, 2019 |
Imagine going to Florence last month and being able to see
the Bronzinos at the Ufizzi Gallery! It
was like meeting up with the master.
Coming back from our trip to Italy I found myself in a
conundrum. After seeing all those renaissance paintings how could I be inspired
in Vancouver with its blue skies and frigid early spring weather?
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| Penitent Magdalene, 1533, Titian - Palazzo Pitti , Bronwen Marsden, April 11, 2019 |
I found the light and with my friend Portland baroque
bassist Curtis Daily (here last week for an EMV concert at the Chan) we
photographed my wonderful long time posing subject, Bronwen Marsden in the
spirit of that renaissance artist. I was attracted to the idea because Marsden
has severe short hair. She no longer owns a little black dress (for 21st
century shock value) but we managed. I believe that this project has legs and I
will continue.
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| Saintly Magdalene, April 11, 2019 |
