The Uffizi, along with Italy’s other national museums, was re-opened at the end of January. I could not resist going to Florence to pay a visit to one of my all-time favourite art galleries. Designed by Vasari as the Medici’s government offices the Uffizi incorporates perhaps the first comprehensive city street design. From the connecting portico at the end of its two arms there is one of the most memorable views of Florence.

 

And looking across from the other side this is what one sees.

 

In this case it was a river Arno boiling with mud brought down from the mountains as a result of the heavy rains we’ve been continually having. It is this sort of situation that caused the terrible floods in the autumn of 1966. Now, with the new overflow channels and improved weather forecasting let’s trust that these things never happen again to devastate one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

The delight of having one of the world’s greatest collections of renaissance paintings virtually all to myself as if it was my own private gallery was quite marvellous. The Uffizi was originally the Medici’s own personal collection  but in the eighteenth century it was opened to the citizens of Florence to create the world’s first public art gallery.

The Uffizi web site is very comprehensive and well designed. It’s at https://www.uffizi.it/en.

I’ve been to this treasury of all that’s finest in human artistic creation many times so I was wondering what new things would attract me on this visit. I noticed how the display of the Uffizi’s collection has improved considerably over the years; for example, there’s this room starting the museum’s itinerary and displaying the earliest Italian art, including the great Madonne by Duccio, Cimabue and the painter who changed the course of Italian art, Giotto.

The Botticellis remain ever sublime and are spaciously displayed. It was wonderful to be able to admire the great neo-platonic paintings of the Birth of Venus and the Primavera all by oneself!

I was astounded by the new Leonardo gallery and, in particular, by his ‘Adoration of the Magi,’ returned here after a seven-year restoration which has done so much to give back the freshness of this unfinished painting.

This is the painting before restoration:

And this is it after:

 

The adoration of the Magi remained unfinished because Leonardo got an irresistible invite to the court of Milan where, among other things, he painted his ‘Last Supper’. It was left to Filippino Lippi to paint a properly finished version for his commissioners. This painting is also in the Uffizi:

 

Two things in the Uffizi particularly struck me this time.

First, the wonderful representations of nature details in so many paintings. Surely landscape art starts here as part of the background to religious themes. Perhaps the painters, having to depict their sacred subjects according to strict ecclesiastical rules, let themselves go in these beautiful scenarios where they were able to introduce Tuscan landscapes and further display their descriptive skills.

Second, the sublime beauty of the Madonne. These endearing women must have been clearly based on the beauty of the models the painters took from the best-looking women of renaissance Florence. What love affairs and physical adoration must have lain behind these stunning faces!

 

Each one of us will have their favourites but I was particularly transfixed by this face painted by the Sicilian painter Antonello da Messina. I just had to fall in love with her!

But then one falls in love with so much of Italian art. It is just beyond value!

Here is another selection of the photos I took of the  paintings:

The Uffizi museum is open from Tuesday to Friday only. To be absolutely sure of getting admission it might be worth booking ahead. Certainly if the tourist season starts in earnest pre-booking is essential. I could just turn up and got my ticket at 12 euros which is 4 euros less than if you book it.

A caveat. If one is a lover of seventeenth century painting including the Dutch school then one in for a disappointment. Only half of the Uffizi is open. So no Caravaggios or Rembrandts!

However, surely to be able again to see the Botticellis, the Michelangelos, the Raphaels and the Leonardos is more than adequate compensation for those of us who, in this continuing world health crisis, have been starved of museums and art galleries for so long…