NEWSLETTER APR - MAY 2019
CONTINUATION OF A FLORENTINE LEGACY
by Bryce Stanley Photo by the author
The History and Works of Alessandro Vannini Nearly 400 years ago, a distinguished Florentine artist by the name of Ottavio Vannini created for the cathedral of San Marco a superb depiction of St. Vincent Ferrer. Today, his descendant, Alessandro Vannini, not only continues his ancestor’s artistic legacy but does so within the very same cathedral he produced one of his most illustrious works. Alessandro Vannini, also born in Florence, began to realize his affinity for art rather early on in life. For around the age of 10, Vannini began sketching. These sketches are described by Vannini as his first foray into the world of art, eventually fostering a desire to attend a fine arts university. Unfortunately, due to financial circumstances, his family couldn't provide him this opportunity. This did not dissuade Vannini however, as he continued to create art and still drew, from afar, the scholastic landscapes of which he so dearly sought inclusion within. These landscapes would soon be replaced by more naturalistic content, for Vannini soon after began depicting the Tuscan countryside which surrounded him, ultimately creating his first exhibition entitled Lontananza. These works displayed Vannini’s initial painting style, one which
Vannini turned to small personal projects which were
relied solely on oil-based paint mixed with turpentine.
not to make it to exhibition, the most notable of which
This foundational exhibition, which debuted in 1973,
were entitled The Battle of Montaperti, Leonardo’s
was followed shortly thereafter by his first solo show,
Walk, Stories of Jesuits, and Underground, the Places of
which commenced three years later. Vannini's initial
Memory. In 2011, Vannini once again set out to create a
artistic style would change, however, during the 1990s
piece worthy of exhibition, focusing on the notorious
and was displayed to the public via his 1992 exhibition
Florentine figure, Girolamo Savonarola, and creating an
entitled Variations on the Battle of San Romano by
extensive charcoal on paper exhibition entitled Il Caso
Paolo Uccello. For this piece, Vannini revolutionized his
Savonarola. During the years succeeding this endeavor,
approach by utilizing tempera as his base and relying
Vannini spent his time on both minor projects as well
solely upon his memory of the specifics of the creation
as those intended for exhibition. The former included
to slowly reinterpret Uccello's epic work. This extensive
concentrations upon various historical figures, including
project took 11 years to complete and was finally brought
an interpretation of his ancestor Ottavio’s depiction of
to exhibition in 2003, one which concluded at the site
Christ and St. Peter. The latter consisted of two works
of the battle itself. In 2003, Vannini then decided to
shown in 2015, entitled La Partita di San Giovanni, and
embark upon another monumental project akin to his
La Partita Dell’Orgoglio. Following this, Vannini busied
Uccellioan replication. For this endeavor, Vannini sought
himself with minor projects until May of this year, where
to replicate the Lost Frescos of Michelangelo’s follower,
he chose to return his artistic focus to the infamous
Jacopo Pontormo. Extricating himself from his memory
Dominican monk, Girolamo Savonarola— determined
based approach, Vannini utilized Pontormo’s surviving
to display the Florentine people’s uprising against him.
draft sketches in order to respectfully replicate his work.
Vannini decided to create the entirety of his proposed
Vannini also implemented the use of scraping in order
exhibition, entitled La Battaglia Di San Marco, within the
to make the piece look as though it had gone through
Basilica of San Marco. This was the very site in which the
500 years of wear. His replicated work was displayed in
mob of Florence extricated for trial this tyrannical zealot
a variety of exhibitions which spanned from 2003-2006.
and, as stated previously, a locus familiar to the presence
Upon the conclusion of this considerable undertaking,
of a Vanninian palette. 5