A High-Flying Horse, Playful Putti, a Magnificent Monster, and a Drinking Doggie
Florence, Italy is full of amazing art, and I love visiting museums and taking in the beautiful renaissance paintings. I’m mainly drawn to the wonderful colors and the sheer abundance of figures in them. But the paintings I really love are the weird ones; the ones I look at and say, “What’s going on there?”
Sometimes there’s something that just seems out of place and I don’t have a clue what it’s doing there. And often those museum labels with very limited information don’t help much. But as long as the painting makes me smile, I’m happy.
On my recent trip to Florence, I discovered four unusual Renaissance paintings that I thought I would share with you today – along with what I was able to find out about them. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
Let’s Begin with a High-Flying Horse
The first thing that caught my attention in this painting is the black horse that seems to be flying over as St. Peter is preaching. It looks like only three people in the crowd have even noticed it.
I stood looking and wondering why there was a horse in the sky, and what was he doing? Was he really flying? Was he jumping? He definitely had all four feet off the ground. I figured the horse must be an important part of the story or he wouldn’t be included.
Miracle of the Enraged Horse
So, I looked for information on Saint Peter of Verona – not the Saint Peter in the Bible that now supposedly stands at the Pearly Gates. No, this Saint Peter is remembered for two things: One is the miracle of the enraged horse. This miracle supposedly took place in Florence. It’s said that Peter was preaching when an enraged black horse (that was actually the devil in disguise) attacked the crowd of listeners.
Peter managed to calm the horse, cast out the devil, and save the crowd. So that’s apparently what the horse in the sky is about – he’s enraged. In this painting, maybe the enraged horse hasn’t arrived yet as the crowd still seems fine.
And the second thing this Saint Peter is known for is his martyrdom. He was attacked with an axe, and that’s what the right side of the painting depicts. I definitely prefer the left side.
Now Let’s Move on to Some Playful Putti
The next funny painting that caught my eye was this round one of two little boys (or putti). They are fighting, or maybe playing, and it seems that there are no rules in this game. The little boys are grabbing onto whatever they can.
The label calls them “Playful Putti,” but I’m not so sure. Putti are generally chubby little boys – sometimes with wings. And they are often portrayed as angels – I think that rules out these guys.
This is a desco da parto, a birth tray – no they didn’t carry babies on it. It was used to bring food to the mother as she stayed in bed for a while before or after the birth. These trays were flat and painted on both sides. After the baby was born, they would be hung on the wall as paintings. Have a look at the other side of this one.
Playful Putti or Naughty Boys?
On this side there are two teenage boys playing a game called civettino. There is someone standing on each foot, so the players can’t move. Then they try to slap the other and keep from being slapped themselves.
And look at the two little boys in the front. Are they the same ones from the other side? Still no pants… Does this tray depict the boys growing up? If so, I think they are definitely too mischievous to be putti.
Next Up is a Magnificent Monster
When I saw this painting, I was immediately drawn to the very impressive sea dragon. I have a fondness for medieval dragons and this one is spectacular with his gigantic body and his puppy-like face.
This painting is telling a story from Greek mythology. In it, a terrible water dragon is terrorizing the coast because the Queen insulted the sea nymphs. In order to stop the monster, the royal couple decided to sacrifice their daughter to the dragon (such loving parents). They tied her to the tree and left her for dragon dinner.
Perseus, Andromeda, and the Dragon
However, when Perseus was flying over (you can see him in the sky), he spotted the damsel and immediately fell in love. He landed on the dragon’s back and pulled out his mighty sword, and you can guess what happened next. The story ended happily for Perseus and Andromeda – not so happily for the dragon.
But what I love about this painting is this mighty dragon. He is huge and definitely the star of the painting.
Doggie Drinking Trick
In the Medici Riccardi Palace, I found this painting. It’s a fairly standard Madonna and child painting – except for this wonderful little dog. What is going on here? That’s not how dogs drink water. Dogs normally lap water, but not this one. His owner (the nameless saint) just tips the ewer and pours water (we hope it’s water) right onto the tongue of the little pooch.
It’s a pretty good trick and it seems to have everyone’s attention, except St. Anthony (on the right). The other saint, Mary, and even little baby Jesus are all fascinated by this doggie trick. Maybe it’s some sort of miracle? I don’t know, I just think he’s a cute and surprising addition to this otherwise pretty, but unexceptional painting.
Do you have any favorite paintings that are weird and wonderful? Let me know in the comments section below. And if you want to read more of my curious histories, subscribe to my blog (at the top or bottom of this page).
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