This review on Art Contains spoilers. If you have not seen the chapter, we recommend you do it and then go back to read the review.
Chapter 8: A New Chapter
Art says goodbye to his friends and his beloved teacher, who tells him that if he decides to stay in Venice he will do so and that someday he must leave the workshop and live by himself, this leaves the doubt nailed to Art. In the carriage, Yuri gives him an altarpiece made by Leo, as a gift for the trip and as a souvenir. Leo again returns to solitude and silence. Meanwhile Arte travels and will have to do a part of the route by boat, to which she is not at all accustomed. While he thinks he is dizzy and falls into the sea, when he wakes up he finds Yuri in the room and they have a conversation, in which the nobleman clarifies the doubt in his heart. Arrived in Venice they must do certain things and then they go to Yuri's niece's house, which seems to be sweet, but alone is a fallen angel.
Chapter opinion
We are heading to the second part of the anime, if it can be called that. The first in Florence, the second in Venice. Within all, this has seemed to me a good chapter, the background music for certain moments was propitious (like Leo's). Now I do not know if it is my perception, in a way I see the animation the same, but I also feel that it has suffered a small drop in the quality of the image, at certain times. Background faces are no longer drawn, although they are from background people. In the trip that Arte and Yuri had, they could take better advantage and show Italian landscapes of the countryside, but the animation of it would have taken their resources, that's why I think that they do not show such splendid cities or show such detailed paintings either. Even so, it seemed to me a good chapter, calm and with an acceptable development.
The regret of the doubt
After saying goodbye to his friends, the last person to see Art in Florence is Leo, who before leaving gives him a few words that will weigh on Art's heart. He says that one day he will have to leave the workshop and live on his own, and that it is okay if he does not return. These words make Arte think a lot, who believes that he was always a burden on his teacher and that he is somewhat relieved to get rid of that burden. This increases when Yuri gives him the portable altarpiece from Leo, making Art think it is a parting gift. This melancholy is understandable because even though Leo and Art have time together, it is not that Leo was totally open to Art, which is why she really does not know the true feelings of her teacher. What we saw are only small moments in a long stay between the two of them, in which professional work prevailed over the staff,
The appreciation of a teacher
The journey was nearing its end, when Yuri and Leo have a little conversation, after a certain incident with Arte. In this talk Yuri clarifies Art's doubts, because he realized what she felt from the beginning, but he did not say anything because he found it funny. The noble says that Leo really appreciates and cares about Art, that he watches over his well-being, so much so that he asked him, Yuri, to give Art a message because he sensed a certain situation: Before worrying, make sure you do your job adequately. After hearing this message Art understands all or most of it. Leo is someone cold and serious, but who has shown, before our eyes, that he sincerely appreciates Art, seeing her as a full-fledged apprentice, treating her severely when he should. Of course this is what we see, but from Art's mind and before his eyes things can be different. Those words that seemed of contempt, really are of appreciation before your dear apprentice.
A journey and the new city
The trip was really cut, although with a couple of interesting adventures. The first is the combat between the sailor and Yuri, who face each other in a fair fight until Yuri grabs a blanket to confuse the sailor, managing to win the combat. There is a curious phrase that Yuri says, because in a real combat, of losing as the sailor lost, you cannot make excuses in heaven, implying that dead is no longer worth the explanation. Then there is Art, which gets dizzy (either due to the heat or the movement of the ship), falling into the sea. By means of images by way of flashback we know that Yuri and a sailor save Art, although this Art in theory does not have to know it. This scene would trigger what was commented in the last section. I would have liked to show more the course of the field, although it is not that something interesting has happened. The most interesting thing of what is shown is that they take an inn in a church, this is very propitious of the time, since the churches were hospitable places for people and travelers, whether they are monasteries or convents. And well, at the end of the boat trip they manage to reach Venice, which stands imposing before its Florentine visitor.
Venice
Venice, also known as the city of canals, is an Italian port city, located to the north and accompanied by the Adriatic Sea (a part of the Mediterranean Sea). The context in which Art is makes the era of wonder paint, at least in Venice, but it was not so much so. It is true that Venice was one of the most important maritime trading cities, and trade abroad was very productive due to the religious tolerance of the Republic of Venice (this is the name by which Venice is known from the 9th century until the year of 1797). This city is located on a large lake called the Venice Lagoon, in which there are several islands that were inhabited since the 5th century, from there the need made the Venetians turn to the sea. In the years in which the anime takes place, Venice suffered a war against the Turks and another against Italian cities and foreign countries, due to which its commercial and maritime importance was reduced, but not finished. This is the city and also the historical context, as far as possible, to approach the world to which Art embarks.
A girl who will cause trouble
After a few interesting things, we are introduced to Sofia and her daughter Katarina, Yuri's sister-in-law and niece respectively. The scene (which could have been much better, perhaps as shown in the opening) shows us mother and daughter, the adult with great presence and beauty, the girl with shyness and youth, making a great contrast of personalities highlighting each in their own way. But the impact comes to our faces when Yuri and Sofia leave Arte and Katarina alone, this is where the little girl shows her inner devil. Although she did not tell lies to Arte (because she is rare, what she does is rare, that she is not very refined and that she is very young), she implied that she did not need or want her. But will this very rough meeting culminate in a confidentiality between them?
To conclude, looking for information, I realized that Venice can be reached by land (from Florence), but I suppose that maritime transport was faster. Right, Daphne would be a Venetian Darcia. We will see more about Katarina and Art, this duo seems to promise. Art is no longer the apprentice now, but the teacher, let's see how she manages to develop in this role.
