Pio Fedi | Love story of Dionora and Ippolito

Pio Fedi - Dionora de Bardi and Ippolito Buondelmonti

In the present sculpture, Pio Fedi (1816-1892) presents us with an image of the courtship of Dianora. Ippolito's gently persuasive gesture conveys his intense and immediate affection for Dianora, whilst her apparent reticence highlights the agonistic relationship between their two families and the difficulties associated with their union. Pio Fedi's training as a goldsmith and engraver is evident in the virtuoso carving of the rich fabrics and differing surfaces. The intricacy of the carving, together with the small scale of the group, lends to it a precious, jewel-like quality. The signature compares closely with that of Pio Fedi's Il sospetto in the Ashmoleon, also dated 1872, and which, according to Nicholas Penny, may have been sculpted as a special piece by Pio Fedi himself.

Antoine Bouvard | A Venetian Scene

Antoine Bouvard Senior, also known as Marc Aldine (1870-1956) painted Venetian scenes and exhibited his works in Paris and Venice.

He was born at St. Jean-de-Bournay in L'Isere in 1870.

He trained as an architect and studied art and architecture under Constant-Dufeus, at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris.

He became the Director of Architectural Services for the Seine, and was responsible for the construction of the Bourse du Travail and the Boulevard Morland in Paris.

Ron Monsma

Whether I am painting a still life or figure (or landscape) light plays an important role.

I work in the Baroque tradition where light reveals and distills form and all its nuances.

This is stage lighting where illumination exposes a mood, a setting or situation or some event about which we are not quite certain.

It is light that invites the viewer to make discoveries in the shadows” - Ron Monsma, Associate Professor of Fine Arts.

Ferdinando Vichi | Masquerade, 1900

Italian Sculptor Ferdinando Vichi (1875-1945) was one of the talented band of Tuscan sculptors associated with the Bazzanti gallery in Florence.

His work in marble and alabaster demonstrates his high technical ability.

Lorenzo Bartolini | Dircé, 1834

Ingres Jean-Auguste-Dominique (1780-1867)

Portrait of Lorenzo Bartolini, Musée du Louvre

Dircé (/ˈdɜrsiː/; Ancient Greek: Δίρκη, pronounced Dirke, modern Greek pronunciation Dirki, meaning "double" or "cleft") was the wife of Lycus in Greek mythology, and aunt to Antiope whom Zeus impregnated.

Antiope fled in shame to King Epopeus of Sicyon, but was brought back by Lycus through force, giving birth to the twins Amphion and Zethus on the way.