We are back in Florence, Italy, in today’s blog post, but this story will circle back to Charleston and then to my house in a beautiful, serendipitous story about art.

It started with my favorite part of the Uffizi Museum.  Let me start off by saying that I loved most things about the Uffizi.  The U-shaped building with light-filled halls was spectacular, and the art collection might be my favorite of any museum I’ve visited to date.  It’s big enough to keep you busy, inspired, and interested, but it still can be toured in a day.

I loved the Brozino exhibit, but I will share about that in its own post.  I will quickly say that it was breathtaking, and will, I think, forever impact me as an artist.

The exhibit that captured my heart, though, was the self-portrait gallery.  I love portraiture and seeing how artists see, interpret, and want to show themselves.  The first self-portrait I stood at for several minutes wasn’t in the self-portrait gallery, but in the temporary exhibit on the first floor.  I caught the painting in my peripheral vision and immediately knew who it was.  I actually said to my mom, “I know her!”  I said it so casually, as if she were an old friend from high school.  It was Vigee Le Brun, though – the gifted female artist who captured Marie Antoinette.  Photography wasn’t permitted in that specific exhibit, but this is the painting I saw in person.

It was so gorgeous…the palette, the fistful of brushes, the big red bow tied around her waist and lacy collar, the crinkles and folds in the black dress, her translucent skin, gentle expression, and slightly wild hair.  I was smitten.

So, when we rounded the corner to the self-portrait gallery, lined with portraits almost floor to ceiling, I was in a piece of heaven.

The amusing thing about this experience is that while I was enraptured, leaning into each painting as closely as possible, the majority of the visitors were marching through the exhibit like it was nothing more than a hallway to get to the next top tourist attraction.  I stopped admiring a Rembrandt self-portrait to take in, mouth agape, the people breezing past these amazing portraits without a second glance.  I mean, I can see overlooking a self-portrait by a lesser-known artist, but I couldn’t fathom not even giving a Rembrandt a second look.  I made eye contact with a gentleman who was taking his time through the gallery, and he shared my disbelief and shook his head.

But, you know what? There was something in that moment that gave us a kind of kinship.  We knew something that the rest of the crowd didn’t.  We saw and appreciated the treasure, and had some rooms in the self-portrait gallery to ourselves as a result.

I probably spent the most time with Rembrandt.  His brushwork is so interesting.  Squishy marks that seem chaotic, even more than some impressionist works, yet masterfully complete a life-like face.  It really is masterful, and about 200 years ahead of its time.

I also loved the self-portrait of Velázquez.  Oh man, he is such a master of portraiture.

I particularly enjoyed the portraits when the artist included their brushes and palettes.  It’s a great snapshot into their pirgments, process, and workflow.

I loved that this woman included sketchbooks, a peek at a painting, and her dog.  I’ve done a few self-portraits over the years, but it would be fun to paint one that is more than just a quick study.

The self-portrait gallery was displayed in several rooms, and, as I said, most people treated them like hallways, so I was able to take my time and admire each painting without the need to work around throngs of people.

One thing I find incredible is that most of these portraits were painted before photography, so I can only imagine how long it took to get the drawings correct, working exclusively from life and mirrored images.

The detail on these brushes and grit around the fingernails is so well observed and expressed.

This portrait was my favorite, though.  I had never heard of Thérèse Schwartze, but I was totally in love with this portrait.  To me, it’s faultless, a perfect balance of impressionism and realism.  Her expression, the lighting, the clothes, the tools and materials, cannot possibly be improved.  I spent a lot of time with this portrait, making notes so I could learn more about Thérèse.  Sadly, there isn’t a book available about her work, but I will keep hunting for a used copy or a new book.  (Update!  Cora, the author of a book about Schwartze, is going to do a reprint.  I sent an email, not expecting much, but she replied the same day with the wonderful news that the book will be available again.  You’ll be able to preorder a copy of the book HERE soon if you’re interested.)

I recounted the story of visiting the Uffizi museum and my love of the self-portrait gallery, which took the conversation around a surprising bend in the road.  My aunt interrupted me as I was expressing my exasperation over people walking right by a Rembrandt…

“If you love portraits, I have a proposition for you…”

You can find more posts about our trip to Italy below…

Revisiting a Special Place in Florence

our hotel in Florence

the last day in Sovicelle

marbled paper & bookbinding workshop

Best view in Siena

Walking Through Siena, Italy

Shopping at the Siena Market

Plein Air Painting in Italy & Podere Tour

Dinner in a Castle | Tuscany Creative Retreat

Travel Journal Workshop

Arezzo Antique Market