Art Appreciation 201

Gallery: POP PhotosPosted October 15, 2017351 views7 comments

This was taken in the Uffitizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. This was in the off-season. Even in the off-season, the crowds are very large and one needs to make reservations at least a week in advance to get into the museum. That requires waiting in line to get tickets in advance. Which means one needs to get the tickets and wait in line at least three or four hours before your reservation time. Yes, this art museum is one of the more popular venues in Florence. But even the less popular venues require tickets and reservations in advance. Siena was just as crowded in the off-season. I can certainly understand why people wish to visit these amazing cities of art and culture however the smaller Italian towns have just as much art and culture and are much less crowded and I find more enjoyable to visit. If you go to Europe and especially Italy, plan to spend more time off the beaten path and you will have a much more relaxing experience. Going to the big cities like Florence and Siena means planning well in advance, perhaps parking and walking over an hour just to get to the major tourist attractions and being joined by thousands of other people even in the off-season. And expect that cell phones will block the view of every piece of art you try to observe..

iso-1250, 24-120@24 mm, F8,125th, handheld above my head, D 750, Topaz and TK actions

Comments

7 comments

Comment posted by Charles Bell on October 15, 2017 at 5:56 PM

We had the same experience in the Louvre earlier this year. It was disgusting, and we left after peeking through a barrage of heads and cell phones doing selfies at the Mona Lisa.

Registered on February 21, 2016, 187 Posts, 192 Comments

Comment posted by Ry Birge on October 16, 2017 at 8:27 AM

Great composition David. Love the picture-in-picture effect. Very creative. Keep up the good work

Registered on September 23, 2017, 118 Posts, 278 Comments

Comment posted by Harley Goldman on October 16, 2017 at 2:11 PM

It seems everywhere is crowded these days. Too dang many people in the world! The image speaks volumes of the crowded scene.

Registered on November 19, 2003, 586 Posts, 11271 Comments

Comment posted by David Schoen on October 16, 2017 at 8:18 PM

Actually, this scene is repeated in front of every work of art in every European art museum I visited last summer. And in some restaurants, people had a fork in one hand and a cell phone in the other. Sorry, but in my opinion, at least in the great art museums in Europe, there should be a no photography rule. Enjoy with your eyes and buy the book. It was that way at one time. Things are out of hand now. It is difficult to enjoy with the digital glow and many hands waving.

Registered on November 6, 2006, 1213 Posts, 4587 Comments

Comment posted by Steve Kennedy on October 19, 2017 at 12:13 AM

I totally agree with you David. My last trip to France, we decided to skip most of the museums and galleries. There is so much to see off the beaten path. One of our favorite days was driving through the country roads and visiting the small towns and villages.

Registered on March 9, 2009, 79 Posts, 676 Comments

Comment posted by Richard Sandor on October 19, 2017 at 2:14 PM

David: agreed on the practice of taking pix of the items on exhibit. Saw the identical occurrence at an Irving Penn exhibit. Even more annoying, is that people would walk right in front of where another was standing and block their view in order to take that snap. Richard

Registered on January 12, 2014, 453 Posts, 1625 Comments

Comment posted by SandyRichardsBrown on October 21, 2017 at 6:24 AM

Nice image, crappy situation. We hate crowds (bordering on claustrophobia for me) and don't go near them. Fleeing the SF Bay area was mentally required, and the peace and quiet here in Brookings is therapeutic.
Sandy

Registered on November 24, 2003, 3937 Posts, 12909 Comments