A Divinity in Man
I have been blessed, for the second time, with visiting one of my favourite sculptures, the Donatello and Desiderio da Settignano, The Martelli Saint John the Baptist, ca. 1440-1457, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence. This very special opportunity also allowed a further view of the other Donatello's and Verrocchio in the same room, having studied and made reference to some of the pieces in the first installment of this project (Embroidering the Constellations). The first visit to the Bargello museum occurred nine years prior and it was great to view the Pitti Palace, too, this time around, to catch up with several of the paintings referred to in the first essay. The view of Martelli Saint John was not a disappointment and enabled the third dimension that is lost to the memory and imagination when viewing photographs to be equated. Viewing art works and revisiting cities is always influenced by what pathway has preceded the visit. This visit was via Venice, Rovereto and Padua so the refinement of Donatello and Settignano was less obvious with Giotto, Messina and Bellini as their background. Therefore, following the Christian pathway gave the reinterpretation of Christ through the patron Saint of Florence, St. John the Baptist, the blessing necessary.
