For my sketchbook class this week, we met up at the Church of Sant’ Ignazio, near the Pantheon. Not registering where I had heard the name before, I walked into the church and was instantly blown away when I looked up and saw this above me! This is one of the first times this semester that I actually got to become face to face with a painting I learned about in art history the past year and a half. By far, this was the greatest to see in person because you truly get the feigned perspective effect that the artist, Andrea Pozzo, intended to create. It really does look 3D, but only if you stand at a certain spot in the church. Anywhere else, and its completely skewed, which I honestly think is what makes the ceiling painting so incredible!
Further into the Church of Sant’ Ignazio, is yet another one of Pozzo’s feigned perspective paintings, but this time it is in a circular space that gave a dome like effect. (It’s the darker circle at the top of the photo in case you can’t find it). I’m sorry the picture does not give it justice, but in person, you eyes are fooled and it is truly hard to tell what is the structure of the church and what is painted! If I wasn’t awake for my early class before arriving to this church, I definitely was now!
Later in our sketchbook class, we were really feeling the coldness the shade created so our teacher took us out to sunny Piazza Navona to sketch the fountains. So here, we all spread out around all sides of the fountain, capturing on paper the aquatic scene sculpted before us.
Next, we walked to the other side of the piazza to do a twenty-five minute sketch of capturing the late morning movement within the square and around the buildings.
I figured it was about time you all learned what happens when I get restless when doing hours of watercolor homework. Needless to say, I was searching for something other than paper. Luckily my roommate was a willing subject!
The next day, for my photography class we focused on capturing street photography. So we headed out to a market located at Campo dei Fiori to begin to photograph the people around us. In this picture, a girl from my class is attempting to go up to a woman to ask her if she can take her picture. Needless to say, we were all bashful about trying to ask people this question, and in Italian nonetheless!
While we were supposed to be taking pictures, I got way too tempted by the fruit stand nearby and decided to buy myself a delicious cup of strawberries for my breakfast. They even had sugar to sprinkle overtop! It was so delicious!
At that same stand, a guy also was squeezing fresh pomegranate juice. Now a cup of this was mighty pricey, coming in at around 4 euros for a small cup, so I decided to split one with another girl in my class. It was also delicious and oh so sweet!
During that same photography class, we walked over to Trastevere to walk around the alleyways photographing found objects and wall graffiti as you see one of my classmates doing in this picture.
I found my dream Vespa! So of course I had to take a picture of it in all its brightly colored glory! Surprisingly though, this color is quite rare in scooters here. Most of them are usually either red or black.