Tuscan Art Essentials—For a picture perfect casa

In many ways, the Tuscany IS a work of art. From the picturesque winding roads that are lined with cypress trees, to a perfectly set table that holds plates of Risotto ai Pomodoro, thinly sliced prosciutto, or fresh pane that's just dying to take a dip in a bowl of extra virgin olive oil. Everywhere you cast your eyes, a work of art stares back at you. For this reason, when I was an art student years ago, I found it quite odd that someone would need to study art in this region of Italy since very little imagination was really required to create an artistic masterpiece. All you had to do was paint or photograph exactly what was in front of you. The landscapes seemed already primed and practically begging for someone, anyone, to just capture it's beauty. But, that said, what makes an artist so unique is that they don't just replica what’s in front of them―they look at it and they see something over and above what others see. Good thing, otherwise we wouldn't have any paintings of angels that Leonardo da Vinici, Botticelli, or Caravaggio painted.

So, if you're here at this Tuscan decor page, then you must be looking to create a masterpiece yourself. Is it a home decorating project? Do you have a home that's primed and begging to have it’s Italian essence captured? Are you stuck on the word 'beautiful', but just can't figure out which decor style really expresses that kind of ambiance? I'll give you a hint, by telling you what many Italians would say if you asked them to define ‘beautiful’. They would boldly say, with a twinkle in their eye, "Che bella la Toscana!" That's right, the Tuscany is the epitome of beauty.

Now, what do you do once you're convinced that your home has the soul of a beautiful Italian villa and is begging to be expressed as such? After all, it could take you a few years before a fresco was be finished on the ceiling. I know, I know, apparently Michelangelo (Tuscan painter born just east of Florence in a little village called, Caprese) painted the image of God in a day at the Sistine Chapel, but.... Now that’s not to say you can’t have the work of the masters, that was created elsewhere, in your home. Why not, the Tuscans travel and would easily bring back art as home furnishings from other parts of Italy, especially if they was created by their beloved sons of the Tuscany. But, ultimately this isn’t about Rome. This is about Florence and Siena and Pisa and Pistoia, and a land that is full of hills covered in vineyards, olive groves, iris florentina, and bright red poppies...

So, in other words, I recommend that you start your Tuscan decorating project based on that, and I also encourage you to start it here, because not only do you save yourself hours of tiring air travel, bouncing from one connecting flight to the next, but you won't ware down your favourite Italian shoes on those unforgiving cobblestones as you endlessly bounce from shop to shop looking for the perfect furnishings to complete your Tuscan decor style. Why bother, when you can leisurely scroll along here at the same stress free pace as an Italian Passeggiata (evening stroll) and safely pick out what brings you the most pleasure safely knowing they will fit within a Tuscan style. Because, you see, I’ve diligently sifted through the art that depicts a timeless, classic, and without a doubt, beautiful Tuscan look, and organized them into a collection for you already. After all, time would be better spent enjoying your 'beautiful' home and entertaining those guests of yours that won't know how they know, but will nonetheless cheer fluently, "Che bella la Toscana!" And you can just smile, raise your glass of chianti and celebrate in fact that you had enough imagination to line your walls with your new, personal and affordable Tuscan art collection. “Brava!”

ABSTRACT

Sometimes when the image is exactly how we see it, we often take the colours within the artwork for granted. That's why Tuscan abstract art can be just what you're looking for if you want to draw attention in a room to the colours and there aren't many colours that represent the Tuscany like the browns...

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BLACK AND WHITE

Most people tend to decorate their homes with lots of rich, earthy tuscan colours, when it comes to this particular decor style. However, I would recommend that you don't exclude the charm of black and white photography of the Tuscany. You really get to see the flow of the countryside. Take artist Gianni Berengo Gardin's, 'Tuscan Landscape'. Roads like this will take you a lot longer to get somewhere, as they curve this way and then that, but when one is in the Tuscany, what's the hurry...

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CAFFE ESPRESSO

I never even drank coffee until I lived in Italy, and then all of the sudden I couldn't walk past a bar (café Italian style) without walking in an asking for some brown gold. Good thing I was on a student's budget. A girl has to eat too. I will confess, I did warm my way into it.

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First there was the caffe latte. All milk, very little awareness of the espresso. We were told that only the bambini (children) and sick drank this when they needed comforting. But, when you live in the Tuscany during the winter months, the cold that tickles your bones can cause one not to care what category they fall under if they drink these during the evening hours.

Then, I became a little braver and weaned myself off the latte and on to the cappuccino with the equal portions of 1/3 espresso, 1/3 milk, and 1/3 froth. I loved them too. I also loved that they were apparently named after an order of monks called, 'Order of Friars Minor Capuchin'. The monks wore a hooded cloak that was the colour of, you guessed it, mocha brown.

Okay, okay time was probably ticking and I had to catch something. Maybe a bus or shoe sale―I don't know, all I know was I had made a concentrated effort to move on to an espresso. And when I say concentrated, I mean concentrated... Something else I would soon evolve to was the new cafe style in which I would experience it. There was going to be no dilly dallying at some table when it came to enjoying these little treasures of stimuli. No siree! It was give your barista the request and funds, shallow, and espresso full steam ahead.

CHEESE

Everything goes with cheese, especially a good piece of bread and olives.

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DAVID THE STATUE

"Excusa, but do you know where I can find the statue 'David'?" Oh, boy does that line open you up for an adventure through the streets of Florence. Well, you can't afford to get lost, after all, you have a home to decorate, so I've done the seeking for you and here he is. Well, here he is... Confused? Don't worry, I was the first time too. Well, the only thing you have to know in order to clear the confusion is to pick the one you like. But, if I was to recommend a suggestion―go big with the wall mural, because believe me this work of art is 'huge', in more ways than one. Not only are they important landmarks to the Florentines and the visiting tourists, but both statues are more than what the eye can obviously see, as they are wonderful representations of the famous biblical battle between David and Goliath (First Samuel 17). So, if you're into decor style and inspirational representations at the same time, let this art be a reminder, that no matter how impossible it seems sometimes, you just have to have absolute faith and all things are possible. Maybe even finding 'David' on your trip to the Tuscany. Here, I won't take the fun away, but 'll give you some hints on where to go in Florence so you don't have to ask where 'David' is:
• Piazza della Signoria
• Galleria dell'Accademia
• Museo Nazionale del Bargello

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The first image of 'Statue of David, Florence, Tuscany, Italy Wall Mural' available at Allposters.com, would have been taken in one of my favourite squares in Florence―Piazza della Signoria. I love standing in the middle of it, close my eyes and try to imagine what it would have been like during the Renaissance period. It must have been magnificent. And if I have doubts that it was, then I head to the Uffizi Gallery where I am guaranteed wonderment...

The following three prints are of Michelangelo's 'David' that was made of Marble between 1501-1504.

Which of the following captured images do you like―Donatello's, 'David', 1408-1409 made of marble or Donatello's, 'David', circa 1440 made of bronze?

DOORS OF THE TUSCANY

If I was you, I'd do more than hang one of these doors on my living-room wall, I'd sit back, close my eyes and imagine knocking on one of those doors because you can be guaranteed that a Mama is in the kitchen cooking her heart out. Oh, I can smell the aromas of that tomato sauce now. Knock...knock...knock..., "Che sorpresa!" "Yes, it is a surprise. May I come in?" "Avanti, avanti!" Yup, that's what doors are for―entering into a world of the delicious unknown.

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FAMOUS ARTISTS

Nearly all of the artists from the Renaissance were either born or died on Tuscan soil AND definitely contributed to the Tuscan charm and culture. Take Brunelleschi's 'Duomo' try and imagine what the skyline of Florence would be like without it. No, quick, cancel that thought. I just can't imagine it. I won't imagine it, period. And I can't imagine any of this other artwork not being in our lives either. They're so embedded in our way of thinking about art from Italy that we almost take their effort for granted. Well, if you're like me; you don't. Wonderful! So, here are a few masterpieces to select from and see which ones you have missing from your home gallery and if you've run out of wall space, go ahead and line the halls. You can never have enough art in your life.

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Botticelli
Born in Florence, Tuscany

Brunelleschi
Born in Florence, Tuscany
It's the famous Cathedral of Florence called The Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore or the Duomo that brought Filippo Brunelleschi architect and engineer his fame.

Caravaggio
Died in Porto Ercole, Tuscany

Cimabue
Died in Pisa, Tuscany

Leonardo da Vinci
Born in Vinci, Florence, Tuscany

Michelangelo
Born in Caprese, Tuscany

IRIS

It's remarkably difficult to find and offer you artwork that reflects the Florentine Iris, or as the Italians would call it, 'Il Giaffiolo', or as a Knopf Travel Guide of Florence states, the flower-de-luce. I can't tell you much about it other than it's so pale it's almost white with a delicate lavender hint. Basically, they are not the dark purple irises. I can also tell you, based on a past memory during a tour of a Parfumerie in Grasse, France, the roots of this flower are called Orris Root and were used in perfume as a fixative. Oh, what a day that was, the wonderful raw smell of the... I'll have to save the rest of that story for my Provence decor page. Anyhow, I can also recall seeing irises spotted all through the olive groves of the Tuscany and thinking just how perfect nature is with its lovely decorating schemes: iris purple and olive green.

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MIMOSA

In March, the world celebrates International Women's Day in many unique ways, however for me, I think the way the Italians celebrate it is truly beautiful. In essence, the men will buy small bundles of these lovely blossoms and hand them out to the women. The first time I saw this going on in the town square, I had no idea what was going on. I even received one of the tiny bundles with probably a very puzzled look on my face that said, "But, I don't even know you." Then I was educated on the tradition. Apparently, the yellow represented joy and it was their way of honouring the women in their life. Well, let's just say, it WAS a joy to be honoured as a women this way. And now every year, on March 8th, I can't help but wish I was walking the cobble stones of the Tuscany. But, hey, we don't have to be in Italy or male to honour the women in our lives any day of the year. So, break tradition and give some of the following mimosa art to one of your women friends as a gift. Believe me, it will fill her with joy.

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OLIVES

Bursting with Tuscan sun, these little green nuggets are just waiting to have their goodness squeezed out of them. Some of us have no idea what our purpose on earth is and some of us do, and believe me, the olive knows exactly why it showed up―to be a dip for bread. That's not it? Oh. Okay, how about this, the olive is the second most famous virgin? No. Hm,... you got me. Oh, wait a minute, how about it being the epitome of nutritional excellence on the walls of a Tuscan kitchen.

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PASTA

It's simple to make a bowl of pasta. No, seriously--it's simple! In fact, the simpler the sauce the better. If I was you, and wanted to cook an authentic sauce, I would skip the tomatoes and toss in some olive oil, garlic, fresh basil, and graze the top with parmesan cheese. That's it. And in my opinion, that works on Spaghetti, Eliche, Shells, Farfalle, Maccheroni...

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PATTERNS

I wonder if these prints are the Tuscany's version of sacred geometry?

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RED POPPIES

I think in Italy it is mandatory for the farmers to study art. Each field that contains poppies, looks like they've been painted with a brush instead of planted. So, if you need a stroke of Tuscan beauty splashed within your environment, either pick a field full of poppies like artist Art Fronckowiak's work called, 'Poppies of Toscano II', or just hand pick a few absolute beauties, may I suggest

artist Andrea Kahn's, 'Poppies in Sunlight I'.

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ROOM WITH A VIEW

Oh my gosh, it was the most amazing view I had ever seen. We had left the city of Florence, where it had been raining for days, and headed out into the countryside where we were told sun was not guaranteed, but beauty would be. They were not wrong. It was the most beautiful view I had ever seen of a town. Perched so high on a Tuscan hill that even the clouds had succumbed to it's stature. And like a story told in the glory of our Creator, the sun burst through those clouds and crowned the town with a halo. I immediately had a new understanding for renaissance art―they just painted what the saw. All along I thought it was a figment of their imagination. Anyhow, the wonderment would not stop there, because once we had settled into our hotel room, and swung open the shutters that blocked out every ray of light, there before me was the most spectacular view of the little winding road that had brought us to this moment. I was changed. It took a long time to get over that experience―if I ever did. Guess that's why, for me, if you want to surround yourself with a Tuscan decor style, you definitely must have at least one piece of artwork perched high on your walls, like a Tuscan hillside town, which will play as a medieval window. Then you too can truly live the joy of a 'Room with a View' everyday.

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SEPIA SHOWS A TUSCAN WARMTH

The Tuscany, as far as colour goes, is warm and there aren't any better Tuscan art prints to express this essence than sepia photographs. I have a real warm spot in my heart with

artist Jamie Cook's print titled, 'Farm House in Tuscany'.

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SUNFLOWERS

A Tuscan sunflower art has a deep and rich concentrated feel to them unlike other sunflower artwork, which is lighter and airy. I think it's due to the soil from which they grow from, which is also rich and dense.

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TILES

These prints are perfect for any Tuscan kitchen, especially if you don't want to re-tile. After all anyone who has pulled a tile from their original spot knows that it is easier to pull teeth. This way you can move the tiles around. Want them to line your hall walls next week, no problem... Just make sure you replace them with some new Tuscan art prints.

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TREES

Without a doubt, it is the icon Cypress trees that give the Tuscan countryside its charm. Funny as they were introduced by the Romans to Italy from eastern Europe. Of course, there are other trees that add a distinct impression to the landscape: Unbrella Pine; Pinaster; Spanish Chestnut; Olive; Common Oak. Can you make them all out here?

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TUSCAN HOMES

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