Bologna Diary, Day 3: Daytrip to Florence

Took an early train from Bologna to Florence to spend the day trotting around the same streets walked by Machiavelli, Caravaggio and Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal. Skipped past the Uffizi but didn't go in this time, choosing instead to spend the afternoon at the extraordinary 'Art and Illusion' trompe l'oeil exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi. Lots of tricks of the eye, there was even a life sized woman and child in the exhibition, set up to appear like a passing punter. Lots of classic trompe l'oeil and plenty I hadn't seen before. I fell in love with Jacques Poirier too, as well as some Dutch painters who painted curiosity cabinets stuffed full of quirk and oddity.

Jacques Poirier and Pere Borrell del Caso


In the afternoon I found this magical mask-maker man, up by pontevecchio. His workshop was open and he's very friendly to curious passers-by. He let me take lots of photos of his workshop, and one of him making a mask mold. Not sure that he'd dig my masks but maybe my creepiness as he had plenty of that on show. He also had some very sweet self portraits of him and his doggy.



Caravaggio's Medusa, also seen in Ralph Steadman's 'Medusa Slain'