Karl Kirchweg

Poet and Arts Professor at the Academy

Cleaning up

tried to tighten up some older sketches and toss those that didn't make the grade.

Also have a couple of nudes from a figure session I attended. Trying to get everything together for the open studios in a couple of weeks

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Napoli Capri and Rome

Took a couple day trip to Napoli and Capri. Napoli is awful. I kept trying to find something to like in it but, it wasn't there. the Archeological museum had amazing things, but treated with an off hand and somewhat despairing quality. It would have been better to have left them underground. Perhaps the fact that they haven't picked up the trash in, I don't know, years? may have contributed to the experience but there was nothing to recommend the city. sorry.

here is the best I could find, the Palazzo Capodimonte in very pleasant weather. at least no trash.

Capri was much better. small winding paths with astonishing views of the blue-blue sea. it had the same character as other islands for the wealthy, attractive, closed and too precious. I liked it though, particularly after Napoli.

Back in Rome, which felt sweet. Beautiful organized, full of tourists of course but worthy. Did a sketch of a tempietto in the Gardini Borghese and this wonderful little pony cart with kids on other ponies in tow came around a few times. tried to catch them all. Sunday in the Park with Ponies.

Piazza Navona

spending much more time on each drawing. this one was about 5 hours over the course of 2 mornings. I got dispossessed the first day when the Peruvian band claimed my bench for their daily performance. Are there any more people in Peru or has the entire country emptied out to play on street corners... not that there is anything wrong with that.

Fellow Portraits

A tradition at the American Academy is portraits of the Fellows. I have finished a few, which I now have to frame to stay on the wall. a few others in the works but not done yet.

Long time no post

busy times. finished my shop talk and have been focusing on visiting sites and painting.
pictures attached.

mild day in Rome

Weather turning milder and more beautiful each day. Constable skies with constantly changing clouds that threaten rain but don't much deliver it.

Spring is starting

Spend a couple of days in Florence, half in the library researching my stone deterioration topic and half wandering the beautiful but artificial city. I was struck by the agressive, juvenile nastiness of Florentine art. Every was a guy with a club busting somebody's head or raping some girl. Beautifully done, but nasty. All art was proclaiming, "I am going to fuck you up" but beautifully. it was in character with the narrow medieval streets and somber stone.

I have been working on another portrait of a fellow.

New Paintings

Most of last week spend with poor Laurie who has been suffering from Roman Fever and sick as anything but, hopefully now, and only today, she seems to be getting a bit better.

did some water colors and oil still lifes Finished the fellow portrait and have a few others lined up.

After too long a pause

First son and then lover having come to visit, I have not been focused on keeping up to date on the blog. Please excuse the gap.

Dmitri was here for a week, we went all over Rome including the Vatican museums and a day trip to Florence.

Then Laurie showed up and we have been to Borghese Gardens, Villa Farnisina, Villa Gulia (both with wonderful frescos, Capitoline museum, and a day trip to Tivoli for the Villa Adriana and Villa d'Esta.

More sketches

Still trying to figure out oils, water colors starting to work a bit.

Fascists

Visited EUR with Matteo today. Beautiful severe yet oddly accessible art and architecture from the Mussolini period. In the failing light of a cold February day there was a odd warmth to the stone.

did another water color of a Tiber bridge

water color

bridge

weekend slowdown

Trying and failing to keep up with the day to day activities. I feel at home here now, enjoy the rituals of lunch and dinner with funny and bright folks. the short term visitors as well as the longer inmates.

toured the churches that face the forum yesterday (was it only yesterday) and then had an amazing permisso to view the temple of Augustus and his forum. Intimate contact with the grand scale of this extraordinarily intimate contact with a long gone but increasingly familiar feeling time. I think we are still living in Rome, not just now but the Roman past. Some photos and a water color.

Sick as a dog all weekend

Fever dreams in Italian and bedsheets soaked with sweat. I think I am over it now.

Thursday

Went to Saint Peters with John Matteo.

looked at repairs, soft pastel colors, and the ceilings

Then walked to Quirinale and did some drawings

Aventine

Strolled over the Isola and up the Aventine to see Santa Sabina.

Very quite and calm space. A view across the river that I hadn't seen before from the Aventine. Saw the lines of tourists waiting to put their hands in the Bocca di Verita.

Figured out how to get to Piazza Navona and the shops I wanted to return to. then over Ponte Sisto and up the hill with almost no doubling back. Just lucky I guess.

In Rome With Cigar

A week into the American Academy. 

On Friday I worked in the morning and then went to Trastevere with John Matteo to find the art supply store. Saw Bramante’s Tempietto which was quiet, small and beautiful. Elegant and simple proportions, the kind of thing that could be built in a couple of months, finished in a few more but which changed the world. It is so simple and complex.

It is within the Spanish quadrant of the Janiculum. The Royal Spanish Academy is outside, the church was funded by Ferdinand and Isabella and the tempietto is within the courtyard. Its halfway up the hill. A pleasant respite from the walk and walk. I have to try to take the buses now as my feet are starting to hurt.

After that we stopped at Santa Maria in Trastevere. This is where Rome retreated when Aleric broke the aquaduct and starved the Palantine of fresh water. The population shrunk from 1000000 to 20000 or less. It has a small town Medieval feeling, more Verona than Milano and, except for the steep climb, a pleasant neighborhood to live in. It takes a while to learn Rome, I am still taking baby steps. Getting lost constantly but beginning to locate certain landmarks and find myself on streets for the second or third time. It will take a while but I like it. The weather is cool and pleasant, warm in the sun, brisk in the morning or evening.

Santa Maria in Trastevere is ancient, recycled granite columns of unequal height and girth. Central core with 2 side allees. Beautiful mosaics in the nave and on the exterior over the loggia before the entrance.  12 cent restoration over 8^th, 5^th and original 4^th cent. church. Forgot camera.

Saturday morning went with David Pearson to Palantine to measure section for his proposal to redesign the entrance to the site. He was very knowledgeable about the construction of the ancient Roman center. I have been reading histories and have begun to understand bits and pieces of the history so to actually see the places was astonishing.  The via Sacra turns and spins around each temple and monument. Wide enough for a procession but narrow enough to be confining. The building scale was enormous.  The Venus and Rome (AMOR-ROMA) temple a full city block long and emensely tall. The  Maxentius and Constantine Basilica (from the Greek Basilike, King’s, therefore the throne room and seat of state.) with aisles and now fallen concrete dome.

Past the small house of Augustus is the Imperial Palace. It was atop the hill, looking down on all, and topped out only by the water level of the aqueduct, which essentially established the highest point in Rome.

Sunday was a walk all over the city. Headed to Belvedere, did s drawing, then lots of strolling over lots of territory. Rome is a big small town and, little by little, it is starting to come together.