Of course, thank you.

Elaine, in Paoletti Ch. 5, I encountered a statement that confused me: The last sentence in the paragraph on the Medici Palace central courtyard (1440’s?) says that its size, uniform order, and the allusions to classical forms were new to Florentine architecture, but the photograph reminds me of the classical style of the loggia on Brunelleschi’s L’Ospedale dei Innocenti (1419), which predates the Medici courtyard. I know it’s only 20 years, and I know this section is on the Medici, so maybe I am just being nitpicky, or perhaps Paoletti could have said “relatively new”. What am I not understanding?

Elaine, I am wondering what you mean by "slip" in your Big Ideas for Week 3, under Donatello/St. Mark. I am enjoying your class tremendously. So rich and compelling.

P.S. I have Pimsleur, but I've never made it past the tenth lesson!

Cheryl, my favorite way to learn has been in small groups, whether private or through an organization like the Dante Alighieri Society or an Italian American Cultural Center/Club. Meetups were not beneficial to me (not focused enough), nor were large classes (not enough airtime and interaction; this is where my reading and writing became stronger than my listening and speaking). I took one-to-one private lessons (some use Wyzant to find a tutor for this), but I missed the varied opportunities and demands of being in a small group. I've never undertaken college/university coursework. I have found the pinnacle of progress in being with native Italian speakers, here or abroad. It's mind-bending and humbling, but people are always kind, sometimes you pull of something amazing, and it always shows you where you need to improve.

I finally acquired Paoletti and Welch; Turner in transit. Read Week 1's Paoletti sections this evening, but it took me the longest time because I savored every little detail. What a marvelous book. I reread my notes from Lecture 1, and it all came together. This is heaven. Because my book acquisition was a bit delayed, I wonder Elaine, if you could let us know when you have decided on your books for Art and Society Part 2.

I have studied Italian off and on for twenty years, and have visited Italy a few times (never enough). I love art, and learn much of my history through it, having crammed my way through every high school and college history test I ever took. I am retired from school psychology and feel thankful to have found this community of art, history, and Italy lovers. This is the mother lode! I really love the intensity (and density) of your lectures, Elaine. Getting my Italy fix, making historical connections, e.g. finally learning why southern Italy and Sicily had no city-states, recognizing the artistic hallmarks of various artists and their contemporaries, and appreciating more deeply the interplay between artists and their times and circumstances are my desires.