Rothko's reds and yellows

There is a magical hour, between late April and early May, when the Arno becomes an impressionist painting or a Macchiaioli painting depending on the sky. It is the one before sunset, when the oarsmen of the Società Canottieri Firenze row the river, a practice dating back as far as 1886, which can now be learnt by taking part in courses for beginners. This is the right moment to enter Palazzo Strozzi, greeted by the very recent site-specific installation There Are Other Fish In The Sea created by the Danish collective Superflex in the courtyard transformed into a liquid, dreamlike space. Just a few steps to climb and the encounter with Mark Rothko takes shape, in which to explore, as the American artist himself did with Florence (in particular, the San Marco Museum and the Biblioteca medicea Laurenziana where special sections of the exhibition are set up) all the material and humoral geographies of his expressive adventure: the yellows, reds, greens, astonishing browns, blacks and greys that are together but at the same time separate, make one perceive all the struggles that the master of modern art had with himself and painting. One leaves satisfied, and therefore in the ideal mood to enjoy the sort of cocktail tribute that the Hotel Savoy in its equally artistic Artemisia Bar has devised to celebrate the Master of Colours with a list of sublime combinations of flavours, in particular the Nocturne Vermillon inspired by Rothko's 1950s and consisting of a Negroni (it was invented in the current Caffè Giacosa) enriched with blackberry mousse. Moreover, this hotel opened in 1893, which has completed the restyling of its rooms also using precious Tuscan marble, where the Mercato Vecchio and the church of San Tommaso once stood, has an intense connection with modern and contemporary art: it organises out-of-hours private visits to Palazzo Strozzi, hosts the stars Anish Kapoor and Maurizio Cattelan, works by Tracey Emin, all delighted by the equally creative cuisine and careful selection of the finest local products at its restaurant Irene (the risotto with sea asparagus, lemon balm pesto and crudo of shellfish as well as the sea bass with olive oil potato cream and artichokes are sublime). This is also the season of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a carnet of opera, ballet and concerts that even stages the unprecedented 'The Death of Klinghoffer' with Lawrence Renes on the podium, the direction and sets signed by Luca Guadagnino.