Academy - Bottega - Museum: A Brief Journey

Essays by Angela Maria Tuccinardi
Academy – Bottega – Museum: a Brief Journey, is a book of four essays illustrated with numerous color plates and few in black and white. It is written in a simple and fluid language which speaks to everyone, whilst conveying a deep and broad knowledge of the subject. It is accessible to the general reader, but the unique connections drawn between art history and myth make this a fascinating document also for the educational world. The author has prepared this journey into mythological stories that lead the reader into psychological areas that an artist passes through. She herself is an artist and teacher of art, and has a Master’s degree in museum studies. We trace the evolution from the Akademos myth to the French neoclassical academic drawings; from Hephaestus’ workshop to the evolution of the Bottega in Renaissance Florence, and, on the wings of the Muses, we cross the centuries to see how art collections came to be housed in their various accommodations. The final essay, which touches on the mythic role of Prometheus in bringing fire to humanity, is a reflection on the meaning of Art in the human world. ‘All arts to mortals from Prometheus came’ (Aeschylus) These four beautifully illustrated essays aspire to help readers be where they are and start to look at what is around or inside themselves. In so doing, readers may better recognize their own roots and may discover, nourish and fulfill a passion for art in all its aspects. From Anna Cannon, Art Historian: In many ways Academy – Bottega – Museum: a Brief Journey bridges the gap between the scholarly approach to studying myth and its influence on art, artists, and art schools today and the largely abandoned lens of spirituality. Angela Tuccinardi’s four essays provide readers with a spiritually infused vision of the history of Western art. The book is saturated with inspiring quotations and illustrations. It will be equally appreciated by students of art history and by general readers who are interested in gaining an alternative and inspiring perspective on the history of academies and Western art.