Italian Renaissance Artists 1300-1600
Bloomfield Public Library
McMahon Wintonbury Branch
Bloomfield
Oct. 28, 2025
One thing that’s often forgotten about great classical philosophers that comprise so much of Renaissance artwork is that, for all intents and purposes, they were just regular people. They existed outside of the established halls of power, using reason and skepticism to question how things were done.
These days, those outsiders and their work are thought to be the purview of the institutions now, with professors and other officials tasked with cataloging and sharing their knowledge.
But I was treated to a real display of philosophy and knowledge creation in action as part of a virtual event hosted by the Bloomfield Public Library. To celebrate Italian American Heritage Month, the library invited arts scholar Helane Rheingold to discuss Italian Renaissance artists.
Rheingold has run her program, which she calls “Conversations With Art,” for over thirty years and has given presentations on a wide range of topics in art history. The event description called it a workshop instead of a lecture, and the difference was clear.
Her call-and-response style encourages participation from the audience, leading to discussions of what is important about the various pieces instead of the audience passively receiving information. I imagine that the actual discussions between philosophers weren’t half as lively as the back and forth amongst the participants of the renaissance event.
Take, for example, the conversation around Titian’s Venus of Urbino. The woman at the center of the painting’s identity is a mystery, leading to speculation that she may have been a courtesan. When Reingold asked the difference between a courtesan and a prostitute, the group took over the conversation from 16th century Italy to the 20th century and Pamela Harriman, apparently the most famous courtesan of the 20th century and someone I’d never heard of.
The rest of the evening proceeded in a similar way. What really made the evening so enjoyable was the camaraderie on display among the participants. Bloomfield Public Library runs the virtual event monthly, and librarian Rachel Tonucci greeted the group warmly as the event began.
“I can see some familiar faces tonight,” she said. Valerie, Donna, Beth, Rita…they were all there. It wasn’t hard to figure out who the regulars were, as they were the only ones brave enough to have their mics unmuted.
They drove the conversation as much as Rheingold did, asking questions, sharing information and adding in context to the discussion. There were competing interpretations mixed with in-jokes and references that a newcomer like me could appreciate, even if I didn’t understand them.
One painting that generated the most conversation was the piece The School of Athens by Raphael. As Rheingold explained the history of the artwork, the audience chimed in with information about the various thinkers in the painting, questions about the only woman included (it was Aspasia), and multiple nuggets of knowledge I’d never heard before:
Did you know there are 58 figures in the painting? That Michaelangelo was miserable while completing the work because he considered himself a sculptor, not a painter? That Raphael and Michaelangelo both resented and were jealous of each other despite both being commissioned by the same pope for different projects? I learned all of this while listening to the conversation.
About halfway through the event, I realized that this was a modern version of the School of Athens, taking place right here in Bloomfield. Reingold and Tonucci were Plato and Aristotle, guiding a group of deep thinkers in conversations that started with art but veered into philosophy, religion, history and culture. I learned something about Renaissance art from everyone who spoke, making it one of the most enriching programs I’ve attended.
At the end of the event, Rheingold summed up my feelings.
“I love to do this, and I love to hear what you have to say,” she said. “My personal feeling is that everybody has an opinion, and everybody's opinion is just as important as the next person, so there you go. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me.”
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Jamil rushes to Manchester to catch the last day of an art exhibit.
