The squares, the buildings, the history, the people, the tradition… Florence is simply captivating. No wonder in the late 19th and beginning of the 20th century Americans felt eager to explore the ancient monuments and pieces of the city and discover everything that hid behind the Old World.
The painters of the New World came to Florence and established extremely enriching and versatile relationships with it and other Italian cities such as Venice and Rome. They were attracted by the charm and variety of the landscape, by the light and the panoramic views as well as by the picturesque charm of the local people, so different from what they knew across the Atlantic ocean.
An Italian Garden, by William Merritt Chase.
Their impressions and experiences reach us today in the form of a magnificent exhibition hosted by a masterpiece of local Renaissance, Palazzo Strozzi, from the 3rd of March to the 15th of July: “Americans in Florence”. A journey through the work of members of the American Impressionist group known as Ten American Painters such as John Singer Sargent or Mary Cassat.
At Torre Galli: Ladies in a garden, John Singer Sargent.
Through friendly relationships and embellishing encounters with local people, American painters introduced refined and wise lifestyles to Europe. In exchange, Italian artists showed them the keys of their art and their traditions, this way Americans brought European culture and sophistication to America. The result: a cosmopolitan ambiance that bound the city to the New World forever.
Portrait of Alexander J. Cassatt and his Son Robert Kelso Cassatt, by Mary Cassat.
This exhibition together with a superb stay in a 5 star hotel in Florence bring us the perfect opportunity to discover and admire the existing harmony between art, tradition and modernity throughout the city.
