January 13 story and pictures

Today began with an overcast sky and cold temperatures, but the sun came out by 10 am and it “warmed” up especially if you were in the sun. Venice is an interesting contrast to Florence. While the latter was built more like a fort with massive buildings, Venice appears to almost float with buildings coming right down to the water. The streets and walkways are narrower and there is no motorized traffic. There are quite a few dogs and almost no grass, so the traveler really has to watch where they walk. The students were split into two groups again today for our visit to the Academia as they could not accommodate all of us at one time. One group was at 9 am the second group went at 3 pm. For those who were not “in” class there was more of an opportunity to explore the city. While there we studied Belleni’s St. Job Alterpiece, Giorgione’s La Nude, Lorenzo Lotto’s Portrait of a young man, Titian’s Pietá, Tintoretto’s St. Mark freeing the slave, Veronese’s Feast in the house of Levi, Giorgione’s The Tempest and The Old Woman (with time), Gentile Belleni’s Procession in Plaza San Marco, Carpaccio’s Miracle of the Cross at the Realto Bridge and The Cycle of St. Orsola, and finally Titian’s Presentation of the Virgin to the Temple. Two of the best things about studying these works in person are that you get to see them actual size and, in the case of some of them, we have walked in San Marco’s Square and we have crossed the Realto Bridge.