Milan: part ii
This is a running commentary of my day. I stopped at various times and in various places to write down things I considered "bloggable"
In the Pinacoteca di Brera (the art gallery bit), I saw some amazing paintings...you know...the usual crowd drawing attractions of Monet, Renoire, Cezanne, Picasso etc. Awe inspiring but just too busy to be fully appreciated.
What struck me here was a contrast between two paintings of Christ, when he has been taken down from the cross. These two paintings were in the same room but either side of the doorway. Both depicted Christ with two angels either side of him. In the left-hand painting, these angels were in anguish, seriously upset, pulling at his arms and looking at his wounds. Jesus, in this one, is definitely dead: a pale yellow, very ugly. The right-hand painting looks utterly different. The angels are more like cherubims, chubby with flowing robes and female features. This picture shows Christ with his arms open, palms up, stiff back, more like he is pretending to sleep. He looks quite healthy considering he's just been spending some time hanging off a wooden stick...
Affer watching a funeral procession leave the Duomo, I collect my opera ticket...all €72 of it. The assistant shows me where my seat is and tells me it is good because it is at the front of a block and there will be noone in front of me. A couple come to the desk. About my age.
"The problem was resolved?"
"Yes," says the young man. "the tickets were changed, we now have a box.".
I looked at the assistant and laughed. A box indeed, it's alright for some!
The Duomo (cathedral). I climbed up the stairs. This was a small ascent compared to the same experience in Rome with my bro. Now I'm at the top where you literally just walk around on the roof, only this roof is made of marble (?), not lead or clay/slate tiles.
Every "point" has a dude lingering on it in a pose that probably matches why he's important enough to be able to linger on a very tall point (personally I think this roof would be a very effective prison). Then, on the highest spire there is a golden statue, I'm guessing it's JC. Except instead of two angels by his side, like the paintings mentioned above, he's got a stick in his hand which looks suspiciously like a weather vane. Of course, it might not be a weather vane, I can't actually tell, there isn't much of a wind today.
And my favourite conversation overheard on the roof is between two American guys: "You know...I really wanna find a cafe, a pizzeria or something....". Wow, they enjoyed their time up here as much as me!
In the Pinacoteca di Brera (the art gallery bit), I saw some amazing paintings...you know...the usual crowd drawing attractions of Monet, Renoire, Cezanne, Picasso etc. Awe inspiring but just too busy to be fully appreciated.
What struck me here was a contrast between two paintings of Christ, when he has been taken down from the cross. These two paintings were in the same room but either side of the doorway. Both depicted Christ with two angels either side of him. In the left-hand painting, these angels were in anguish, seriously upset, pulling at his arms and looking at his wounds. Jesus, in this one, is definitely dead: a pale yellow, very ugly. The right-hand painting looks utterly different. The angels are more like cherubims, chubby with flowing robes and female features. This picture shows Christ with his arms open, palms up, stiff back, more like he is pretending to sleep. He looks quite healthy considering he's just been spending some time hanging off a wooden stick...
Affer watching a funeral procession leave the Duomo, I collect my opera ticket...all €72 of it. The assistant shows me where my seat is and tells me it is good because it is at the front of a block and there will be noone in front of me. A couple come to the desk. About my age.
"The problem was resolved?"
"Yes," says the young man. "the tickets were changed, we now have a box.".
I looked at the assistant and laughed. A box indeed, it's alright for some!
The Duomo (cathedral). I climbed up the stairs. This was a small ascent compared to the same experience in Rome with my bro. Now I'm at the top where you literally just walk around on the roof, only this roof is made of marble (?), not lead or clay/slate tiles.
Every "point" has a dude lingering on it in a pose that probably matches why he's important enough to be able to linger on a very tall point (personally I think this roof would be a very effective prison). Then, on the highest spire there is a golden statue, I'm guessing it's JC. Except instead of two angels by his side, like the paintings mentioned above, he's got a stick in his hand which looks suspiciously like a weather vane. Of course, it might not be a weather vane, I can't actually tell, there isn't much of a wind today.
And my favourite conversation overheard on the roof is between two American guys: "You know...I really wanna find a cafe, a pizzeria or something....". Wow, they enjoyed their time up here as much as me!
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