We started at the Oblate library, a former convent which construction was started in the late 13th century by commission of Folco Portinari, the father of Dante’s Beatrice. It also was a hospital for women. The Oblates were a secular order of women who lived cloistered lives and devoted themselves to caring for the sick. They lived there until 1936 which was why the building has remained mostly unchanged since the 14th century.

It is now a library with areas for meetings and workshops and a cafe. Membership is free if you want to borrow books and open to the public generally. We came for the view from the terrazza on the secondo piano (3rd level by North American counting).

This was a proportions challenge.

It took me so long, I didn’t have time to add watercolour.

It poured rain for about 10 minutes when we were close to leaving, but then the sun came out.

We moved on to Piazza Santissima della Annunziata, which includes the Ospedale degli Innocenti, originally an orphanage designed by Brunelleschi. The piazza has another view of the Duomo.

This time it was a perspective challenge—and a try-to-sketch-while-tourists-walk-into-the-view.

For me, it was also a watercolour challenge.

The school supplies materials but we are using sheets of paper, not a sketchbook and the watercolour paint is Winsor & Newton Cottman, which is a student grade paint, which almost no one recommends. The woman who has taken this class three times before has been using her own sketchbook and one of the others brought her sketchbook for this second class. I think I’m going to start bringing my sketchbook as well as my own paints.

After class, I went into the church of Santissima della Annunziata, which is the major Marian church in Florence, i.e. the major church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It has some good Mannerist frescoes, in the portico, most are by Pontormo.

Also a Rosso Fiorentino:

And Andrea del Sarto:

The interior has been redone since the Renaissance into the OTT Baroque style:

Before class, I made a trip to Sant’Ambrgio market and bought veggies for a panzanella, a bread and tomato salad. I added too much bread but the tomatoes were great, which is good because I made too much for one meal.