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Posted by: Boticelli (FallenYid@aol.com) on 5/27/1997@13:38hrs:
The Charles H. Cecil Studios (School of Art in the Naturalist Tradition) Oldest Operating Atelier in Europe Director: Charles H. Cecil Asst. Director: Nicholas Beer 68 Borgo San FredianoOldest Florentine Atelier still in existence 50124, Florence, Italy Phone/Fax: Int + 39 55 285102
Curriculum taught in English. Italian language studies available through Language School on site. Curriculum: Drawing and oil painting techniques basis the DaVinci Sight-sizing and further methods developed during the Renaissance and Baroque periods in Western Europe. Western Art History, Culture and Civilization. Humanist influences on art.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Charles H. Cecil Studios offers a thorough training in the classical techniques of drawing and oil painting. The curriculum stems directly from the leading ateliers of 19th century Paris.
Charles H. Cecil was first trained in these techniques by R.H. Ives Gammell of Boston, whose teacher, William Paxton, studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.
This tradition extends back through the French and British Schools to masters such as Titian, Rubens, Van Dyck and Velazquez. Its ultimate source lies in the theory and practices of Leonardo Da Vinci.
The aim of the Studios’ programs is threefold:
1) To teach the perception of nature in the light of the masters 2) To study the humanistic values that underlie the art of oil painting 3) To rediscover and evolve that visual imagery as a foundation for new and contemporary artistic expression and application..
LOCATION:
The Charles H. Cecil Studios occupy the most historic Florentine Atelier still in active use.
The Church of San Raffaello Arcangelo was converted into a studio complex by Lorenzo Bartolini in the early 19th century. BartonlinI, a pupil of Jacques-Louis David and associates of J.A.D. Ingres, was one of the renowned sculptors of his day. The early American sculptor Horatio Geenough studied on the premises in the 1820's. By mid-century the atelier had passed into generations of artistic activity. The Studios offer an ideal working space illuminated by the high windows of the former church.
ACADEMIC TEXTS USED: Texts include Leonardo's Treastise, Reynolds' Discourses, and Gammell's Twilight of Painting. A ONE MONTH "INTENSIVE" CURRICULUM IS AVAILABLE
A five week program of intensive oil painting, drawing, life-study, and art history presented in the Atelier (Renaissance Italianate) method developed by Leonardo DaVinci and continued from the Renaissance and Baroque periods in Western Europe thru’ the Ecole des Artes and revived during the Pre-Rafaelite Brotherhood.
Students are taught the preparation of canvas grounds, the handgrinding of oil pigments, and the making and use of painting mediums based on the atelier's research and analysis of historical accounts.
In addition to the established curriculum, the Studios organize evening drawing sessions, visits to local museums such as the Uffuzi, as well as churches, galleries, Florentine Villas, gardens and excursions into central and northern Italy.
Weekly lectures and seminars trace the evolution of painting both technically and aesthetically, beginning with Giato, Masaccio and Van Eyck
History of Renaissance Art: 4 weeks -24 hours Monday through Friday, 9-12: Painting and Drawing from the model in main studio, or from plaster casts in studio 3. Advanced students interested in drawing work in both studios. Monday through Friday, 2-5: Guided Independent Projects (two students to one instructor). Independently structured projects include still-life, portraiture, drawing and painting in all 4 studios.
Students pair up to pay for one model (model fees are approx. $8/hr.). Typically small groups elect instructor guided landscape painting.
Evening open life drawing twice weekly in main studio from 6-8pm (no charge for modeling fees).
FULL ACADEMIC YEAR PROGRAM:
The academic year runs from October until July with breaks at Christmas and Easter.
Students may also study for a single term or on a monthly basis. One intensive course is offered each July and is recommended only for students who plan to dedicate virtually their entire attendance to the program.
Hope this info helps anyone who would like to study in Italy. I highly recommend this particular school. It is one of the finest programs in Europe.
Sincerely Boticelli
PS: One can elect to live at the school, to rent a local room, work out an opportunity to stay with an Italian family. I discovered that many different arrangements can be accommodated dependent on student needs and interest.
There is a school of Italian language on site. Programs can be intermingled so that curriculum can include both visual art & language.