“Creativity takes courage.” — Henri Matisse

Where would we be without Art?

Art adds richness to our lives.
Without “Art” The EARTH would be just “EH.”

Welcome to “The Art of Loving Italy,” your gateway to exploring the rich tapestry of Italy’s art and artists, from ancient times to contemporary masterpieces. But Art is more than a collection of creative works; it is a universal language that speaks to our souls, revealing unusual beauty, inspiring stories, and astounding creativity.

Did you know art will actually talk to you if you are open and stop to listen?

Engaging with art allows us to uncover new truths about ourselves and the world around us. It challenges us to look beyond the surface, offering profound insights and igniting our imaginations. Through art, we gain a deeper understanding of our identities and surroundings.

When we take the time to truly observe, we discover beauty everywhere.

Artists create subjective interpretations of the world through painting, sculpture, literature, or music rather than literal reproductions. By manipulating colors, shapes, words, and sounds, they evoke emotions, convey ideas, and tell stories. This freedom to express ideas is beautiful, reminding us that beauty is everywhere if we take the time to see it.

Let’s open our eyes (and ears) to what art has to say.
It will be a fascinating conversation!

Latest from the Art of Loving Italy Blog

It is the dawn of a new ART era… DALL•E art creator is here.

Holy Vincent Van Gogh, my eyes are starry! Paint me green and call me a Picasso painting!!! By the brushstrokes of Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa’s smile is broader than ever!  Let me tell you about the first time — me — a professional illustrator, used DALL•E an artificial intelligence open-source art creator. It was mind-blowing….
READ MORE It is the dawn of a new ART era… DALL•E art creator is here.

Read an Italian Novel: 2023 Spring Book Club begins in March!

Sono prontissima per il 2023 Matta Spring Book Club! Anche tu? I’m super ready for the 2023 Matta Spring Book Club! Ho appena scritto la Reader Discussion Guide per la selezione del Spring Matta Book Club, “Non ho paura, di Niccolò Ammaniti.  I have just finished the Reader Discussion Guide for the Spring Matta Book…
READ MORE Read an Italian Novel: 2023 Spring Book Club begins in March!

In search of forgotten female Florentine artists —Indiana Jane leads the quest

Invisible Women. Forgotten artists of Florence — the work and legacy of Jane Fortune. Florence is the birthplace of some of the world’s most famous artists, scientists, and architects. Consider some famous names like Michelangelo, Leonardo, Brunelleschi, and Galileo. But what are we missing in this litany of familiar names?  A name of a woman!…
READ MORE In search of forgotten female Florentine artists —Indiana Jane leads the quest

Botticelli’s Birth of Venus: the ultimate ideal of feminine beauty & where the artist got his inspiration

Today I want to talk to you about Botticelli’s Birth of Venus, and the representation of the ultimate ideal of female beauty and where Botticelli derived his inspiration. This is a small detail of Botticelli’s much larger painting, that I painted when I was a student in Florence. I attended a course in the Oltrarno…
READ MORE Botticelli’s Birth of Venus: the ultimate ideal of feminine beauty & where the artist got his inspiration

Meet Melissa

Welcome to “The Art of Loving Italy,” a vibrant blog site created by Melissa Muldoon—an artist, illustrator, graphic designer, author, and art historian. Here, Melissa shares her profound passion for Italy and its rich artistic heritage.

Additionally, Melissa promotes the study of Italian through her educational website, “StudentessaMatta.com.” As an acclaimed author, Melissa has written four novels set in Italy, weaving the stories of remarkable Italian female artists such as Artemisia Gentileschi and Sofonisba Anguissola