Looking for a particular "artist" now that Piazza Navona has been cleared
 

Last May I committed the cardinal sin of not buying a certain type of painting that I was debating over while I was in Rome, and, as is so often the case, regretted my decision when I returned home.

I now am fortunate enough to be returning to Rome in July, and I was planning to go straight to Piazza Navona to rcctify my mistake.

Now, however, as I understand that the Piazza has been cleared of all vendors, which I assume includes all painters and persons selling paintings, I will be trying to locate this one seller, whose work was, at least to me, somewhat simple and unique.

He was selling simple water , beach and sky paintings of a painter standing on a beach facing an easel, with his back facing us, and painting a picture of an upturned boat, which boat was in front of him on the beach, beside the water. The only colour on the painting, other than the black outlines of the painter, the easel , the boat and the shore/water line was light blue on the top half of the painting for water/sky.

Unfortunately, I am fearful that I will be spending much of my limited time in Rome trying to find this particular vendor/painter, so I am asking for the help of you Fodorites in telling me if you do happen to stumble on him in Rome.

I will be topping up this message from time to time in the hopes that someone will be able to assist me before I leave for Rome in July.

As always, many thanks.

an early top-up

I'm also interested in whether they will all be in one area or spread around. One of the newspaper articles indicated they might be spread around in different areas.

I was in the Piazza Navona last week, and there were 3 -4 vendors selling their artwork. Nothing like in the past, but there were a few. I am actually sorry I didn't buy a painting that I saw. Better luck to you!

Chels

Chels - thanks for your wishes. Maybe someone will make it easier for me to locate my guy.

Sorry, can't help, but do have a question: Why'd they do that? Was there a problem?

I do remember that you'd get approached by a lot of Asian vendors selling junky souvenirs, but they weren't a nuisance. They gave up as soon as you said "no thanks."

i_999_9: (I hope I got that right; it's not very easy to read.)

When were you last in Piazza Navona? When I was there two months ago, the entire piazza was wall-to-wall souvenir stands, counterfeit-handbag dealers, and "artists", along with a number of mimes, a few bands, and a couple dozen other obstacles that, in effect, prevented one from seeing the piazza, the fountains and, to some extent, the buildings around the piazza.

The mayor of Rome decided at some time in the last week or two (there's a thread about it) to clean everyone out. I wish he could have left a few select "artists" with licences, but if it was all or nothing, I'm rather glad he decided to throw them all out.

Thanks, El. I should have known.
It wasn't like that a few years ago when I was there -- mostly just a few starving artists and traveling singers. That's "progress," I guess.

Are the mimes still around? I have fond memories of tangoing with a mime in Piazza Navona once...

The guys that REALLY drove me bonkers were those dudes selling the roses. I almost got in a fight with one that just wouldn't leave my teenage daughter alone. She is too young and shy to tell these scumbags to get lost, and he just ignored me until I got right in his face. I tried to be diplomatic but he just wouldn't leave us alone. I finally lost it and started cussing him out. First time I ever lost my cool in twenty-five years of taking trips to Europe.

Oddly, I don't remember the rose sellers that some people have mentioned. I DO remember when they were a terrible pain some years ago in ANY restaurant, on Piazza Navona or not.

Perhaps they got thrown out in an earlier clean-up...

Do any of you happen to recall if the rose seller was standing near my artist, and if so, do you happen to know where they may be standing now?

Thanks.

We don't know who your artist is much less where a wandering rose seller may be standing at any given moment in the entire city of Rome!

How in the world to track down that one artist, who knows. it does make me wonder about my mime though. I think I'd recognize him if I saw him...he had sexy brown eyes.. ;-)

There is a kiosque of the Rome Tourist Office near Piazza Navona. You could always try asking the people there what places the Piazza Navona artists have been sent to. Unfortunately, the Rome Tourist Office people, there and at the main office on Via Parigi, have a bit of an attitude problem. They seem to regard tourists as an unwelcome interruption of their private conversations...

To Eloise - many thanks for your suggestion. I will try to follow it up when I get to Rome.Obviously I know that it will be a longshot, but it is better than nothing.

To Sandi- please develop a sense of humour.

Oh, I see...that was supposed to be a joke.....then I assume the entire thread is one. I answered a stupid question with an honest answer.

sandi - the thread is absolutely not a joke, but when the dialogue began to go somewhat off-base, I was trying to revert the attention, albeit in a manner that I tried to keep somewhat jocular, to my original purpose -that of trying to locate someone whose art was, in fact, somewhat noticeably different from the hundreds of St. Peter, or Colosseum scenes being displayed.

I am sorry if you do feel that my question is "stupid", but my intentions were never to make light of either this thread nor this forum.

Quite frankly if people choose to change the direction of discourse that is available on this thread, I really do appreciate it as, usually, the comments turn out to be, more often than not, entertaining as well as informative.

And as often as the thread is continued, there is always the chance that some new reader will, in fact, recognize my artist before July...which is really the purpose of this thread.

I totally understand and have no issue with the original post. I too have returned home only to wish I purchased something from an artist I saw. I hate that feeling. My only issue was your other post, to which I was replying. Since I cannot hear your tone and see your expression one has to assume you were being serious when you asked where a particular person was standing at that moment. I actually have a great sense of humor. Just put a smiley face or something on your post if you want to make sure people read it as a joke.

My personal opinion of course.