Museums

I love museums.

When traveling I always try to visit them. especially in the larger cities and can spend the whole day there. I “collect” them, similar to my hobby of visiting Baseball parks, (which to this day total 28, some of which have been torn down by now.)

Renoir said “It’s in a museum where one learns to paint.” There are many MORE to see and some very important ones that I need to cross off my list. However I am pleased that I have enjoyed the following …….

New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum

Chicago Art Institute – perhaps my favorite. I have been there almost every year for the past ten years since this was my territory while working in the insurance industry. It has some iconic works such as “Night Hawks” by Edward Hopper, Van Gogh’s “Bedroom” in the Yellow House in Arles, a whole Room full of Monets including some Water Lillies and Haystacks, some fantastic paintings by Sargent (one of the most revered American artists who actually studied there), and one of my favorite paintings by Renoir, “Two Sisters” (1881), pictured here.

Washington DC: The National Gallery of Art: Some fantastic and important pieces here, including two by Leonardo Da Vinci.

Denver Art Museum

The Getty Museum Los Angeles – houses one of Van Gogh’s “Irises”

Philadelphia Museum of Art: another iconic institution, with very important pieces such as one of Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”. And I must talk about this painting, “Rain”. One of the attractive things about going to museums and studying paintings is that you are standing where the artist stood, right there in front of it. Then you look at the technique… is there a “ground”, an underpainting, under the brushstrokes… can you see the brushstrokes, or is it a thin “wash”, are they thickly applied like Vincent did….. or thin with lots of medium like Renoir did in the background of the “Two Sisters” above.

Then there is possibly a story that the artist is trying to convey. It could be obvious such as a story from the scriptures, or something from mythology. Or something allegorical, or an intent of an artist to express his Psyche like Dali’s surrealistic melting watches and ants, or Meunch’s “Scream.”

Or it can reflect the human interest story of the artist himself.

In the case of “Rain”, it was painted by Vincent from his window where he was staying as a voluntary patient over the course of a year in the asylum at Saint-Remy in 1889-1890, shortly before his death. (He was previously involuntarily committed to a hospital earlier twice over a few months, after his “ear incident”.)

His state of mind during this time is partly stated in a letter to his sister where he said, ‘Every day I am taking the remedy that the incomparable Dickens prescribes against suicide. It consists of a glass of wine, a piece of bread, some cheese, and a pipe of tobacco.’

So here we are, looking though Vincent’s rain streaked window at the same wheat field he saw every day for a year of his life. From his stark, basic small room he tried to express his feelings and and we try to imagine his thoughts at these moments. Perhaps he was trying to avoid thinking about when the next attack would happen, or why his brother doesn’t come to visit him.

If we see it in person, we are right there, standing where he was. This one really grabbed me. That’s why I dig museums.

Vincent was very prolific. painting 143 canvases in the 374 days he was there, an average of two per week. It’s what kept him going, in between bouts of fighting his personal demons.

He also painted the very famous “Starry Night” (which is at the MOMA in New York) shortly after leaving the asylum, from memory of his view at the same window, as he was confined to the building after dark. This was completed in June 1890, one month before his death.

Another one in Philadelphia – the Barnes Foundation. It’s located just next to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This one has an interesting story. Dr. Barnes (a chemist who became wealthy by inventing a silver nitrate antiseptic that prevented certain eye infections in babies) had a keen interest in art, especially Impressionism and Post Impressionism. At that time, the early 1900s, there was not much interest in this style elsewhere, neither among the art buying public nor museums. He found excellent prices on many pieces that would be valued in the Millions today. It’s truly one of the finest collections of famous pieces by Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, Modigliani, Picasso, among many others. Some estimates of the 900 works there are as high as $25 Billion – but who knows. There is an interesting documentary on the Barnes called “The Art of the Steal” that traces the history of the museum after Dr. Barnes died. He didn’t have any heirs and willed his holdings to a college, however he stipulated that they should never be moved from his house in a Philly suburb, and especially never into the City proper, after a feud with the city bureaucrats. The house needed repairs and was in a neighborhood where the constant traffic disturbed the neighbors. So after many lawsuits the end result was that a very nice building to show the pieces was built and they retained a similar decor to the original house. The documentary has a liberal tone to it (you can tell by the title) however I for one am very happy that anyone has easy access to view these terrific works if they just pay their $25.

Here I am with the original ”Les Joueurs de Cartes” (The Card Players) by Cezanne. The friendly guard came up to me and just couldn’t understand why I spent 1/2 hour studying the painting from various angles and distances. The answer is that when you spend so much time on a painting you become intimate with it and become intensely interested in what techniques he used. It becomes a true friend, so to speak. And, quite frankly, fun.

Europe:

Paris: the Louvre (not enough time there!, and I do intend to go back), Musee d’ Orsay (one of the best Impressionists’ collections in the world), Gallery D’Orange

Vatican Museum – including the famous Raphael rooms and the Sistine Chapel. What an experience !

Florence – a fascinating city to me, where the Renaissance was born! – One of the most interesting experiences I have had is coming across Leonardo da Vinci’s unfinished painting at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, called “Adoration of the Magi”.

From 1481, here we get to see the master’s process in action and how he layered the underpainting and composed the drawing, making corrections along the way. I find it fascinating to study this as the creation comes from one of the top geniuses in history and it was worked on 540 years ago! The story is of interest also. It was originally a commission but he was called from Florence to Rome by the Pope for other projects, and in those days when the Pope wanted you then you had to go. There was quite a rivalry between he and Michelangelo and Rafael. All three were extremely talented of course, and they competed for the commissions and attention given to the art world by the Vatican which perceived these works as a way to glorify God. One instance of their immense talent was the fact that Michelangelo sculpted the “Pieta”, now at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, when he was only 23! And Rafael was also a prodigy (I find it interesting that he died when he was only 37, the same age as Van Gogh).

I did get to see the “Raphael Rooms” at the Vatican, after taking in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel monumental project. This is where his famous “School of Athens” resides in situ. Cultural overload? NOPE !!

Amsterdam: the Rijks Museum, (Rembrandts, Vermeer, and the other Dutch Masters, this houses the famous “Milkmaid” by Vermeer,)

Van Gogh Museum (lots and lots by Vincent – I can’t get enough),

Munich: Alte Pinakothek

Copenhagen: NY Carlsberg Glyptotek (a very pretty and pleasing museum, and if you like Gauguin, this is the place for you with 40 of his works)

St. Petersburg: of course The Hermitage – one of the top 5 museums in the world. But unfortunately we were at the mercy of the tour guide who rushed us through. Didn’t scratch the surface there but I did see two Leonardo DaVincis, one pictured here.

Many more museums to come, I hope !