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Gary just had to have this photograph! A collector of FotoAmore fine art photographs, Gary visited the source of I Cappelli , Cortona, Tuscany, and shared his "Gary on location" photo with us. Note the fine Borsalino on his head, just purchased at the very shop in Craig's photograph. Very dashing!
It was so nice to get to know Gary at the Glencoe, IL, art show this past year. He and his wife shared some of their favorite Italian travel experiences with us, which we found fascinating. Meeting our collectors personally and getting to know them a little better is what we like best about doing fine art shows.
It won't be long before our tent will be up again for another show season. We hope to meet you and to get to know you better this year, too!
"I Cappelli" -- The subtle variations in both the pallette and the shape of the men's hats in this image transport me back in time to a simpler way of life. For me, they conjour up visions of the 1950's when hats were all the rage in movies and in society at large. Was it a simpler time back then? Really difficult to say. Everyone always seemed to be in a hurry, rushing around, but isn't that really a lot like how it is today too?
The continuum of the beiges of the hats offers both a sense of personal individuality as well as a sense of community, of belonging to something that is bigger than the self. You wouldn't want to be caught without your hat in this town, lest you be considered an outsider, but you can also have your own personal, special hat, the one that fits just you, the one that says "this is me!"
Taking a closer look, you will notice that many of the hats have different shapes too. From the Super Fino Montecristi Fedora to the various Panamas including the Brim, the Downbrim, the Quenca Fino and the Optimo. While similar from a distance, they are all unique in their own way too.
Regretfully, I resisted the impulse to purchase one of the hats in the window while in Cortona. I foolishly waited until about a year later when I had the opportunity to purchase the same hat at a much higher price on the Amalfi coast. At least it finally cured my longing for a fine Borsalino Brim.
While interest in hats seems to have been fading now for several years, I do hope that such hats will begin to make their comeback in modern society one of these days soon. They bring back a formality of style that has been eluding us.
Aigues-Mortes, a walled Medieval town in the Petite Camargue area of Provence, has a prestigious heritige and is known for its 13th-century military architecture. In fact, it still looks much the same today as it did in the Middle Ages. Its name comes from aquae mortuae, meaning "dead waters" for the surrounding saline delta marshland terraine from which comes the prized Fleur de Sel de Camargue. A port for commerce was built here in 1240 according to the plans of French Crusader King Louis IX (Saint Louis), which assisted him in launching his crusades to the Holy Land from here. The Tower de Constance was initially built by Louis to protect the workers during the construction of the town. The town's fortifications were built by the next two kings of France, his son Philip III (the Bold) and his grandson Philip IV (the Fair). Following a century of royal priviledge, the port area silted up and the town fell into neglect. Aigues-Mortes, since it has never been greatly restored, seems frozen in time. Strolling above the town on its ramparts, you can't avoid being swept up by its history and its unique and original architectural elements. There are clues into its past just about everywhere you look. Back on the ground walking the "Petit Rue" one can inspect the architectural history much more closely. The angled patterns of the stones, which have softened with age, the doorways, windows and shutters all form a caleidoscope of subtle contrasts.
"Prima Porta" features an entrance into the Giardino Giusti in Verona. The giardino, in typical Renaissance style, was created at the end of the 15th Century as the backdrop for the Giusti Palace. It was the home of Agostino Giusti, Knight of the Venitian Republic.
Off a busy street of Verona, the giardino is a lush, very green and peaceful oasis. With the right light, it is a photographer's paradise. Mythological statues line the paths along with tall, graceful cypress trees.
On our last visit to Verona, we spent a lot of time in the giardino, returning at different times to experience how the sunlight would touch it. Early morning, before the sun was warm was our favorite time of day.
"Early Morning" ...inside of the Giardino Giusti
