Artwalk

 

Portrait of Maria Trip -  Rembrandt - www.rijksmuseum.nl 

I wrote the other day about how much I miss traveling. One of the things I miss the most is going to museums. Leslie and I always checked out museums when we were on our rare trips to Europe and I would like to talk about a few of my favorites both in this country and overseas.

I understand that there are many more great museums than those I have been privileged to visit but that is the way it goes sometime and I can only talk about what I know.

My favorite museum in the world is the Rijkmuseum in Amsterdam.

Why?

Two reasons, Rembrandt and Vermeer. Two of my favorite painters, the holdings at the Rijkmuseum are without compare. You can see the epic Nightwatch canvas there and many of Rembrandt's full length portraits look ready to walk right off the canvas into the room.

Vermeer's Milkmaid, executed somewhere between 1658 and 1660 is equally sublime. Much like the Van Goghs in the Van Gogh Museum, there is not a bad or weak work in the bunch. All brilliant.

When we were last at the Rijkmuseum we were privileged to see a comprehensive show on Rembrandt etchings, some worked so heavily that they were almost black as well as Escher's Metamorphosis.

What a great city to see art! And the pancakes are really good, too.

The next city for us for art is Paris. 

I love the Musee d'Orsay, which I find more pleasing personally and aesthetically than the Louvre. 

What piece of artwork sticks in my mind?

The Sargent of course. Madame X. 

And another similarly sized Sargent work near the stairwell. 

So captivating.

The other museum I visited in Paris was the small Picasso Museum at Victor Hugo's old home.

But it was not a Picasso that enchanted and captivated me there. 

It was a Degas self portrait where he was blowing out a candle. 

I have never seen a photograph, I wonder if it is still there? Such an amazing little painting.

I am not a huge Picasso fan but there was one small work that intrigued me. 

He did it at the age of fifteen, the upper half of a torso perfectly rendered, the bottom breaking into cubist shapes and rays.

The Musee de l'Orangerie was closed for renovation when we were last there, hope to see it in person some day.

We loved the Louvre as well of course, but a lot of the work is more formal and patrician than that found at D'Orsay. Still, have to see the Venus De Milo and Mona Lisa before you die, I suppose.

Next grand city for us museum wise is Madrid. We loved the Prado. 

It hosts a lot of fine paintings including some from the incomparable Velazquez. 

This painting is titled Los Borrachos, which translates to the drunks. 

We loved the Prado, especially the large Rubens canvases. 

Liked the Goyas too but honestly there were some dreadful one's mixed in, perhaps he was testing his commission's eyesight for sport? 

Hieronymus Bosch - Prince of Hell, garden of earthly delights, c.1495-1505

The Bosch paintings are also exceptional. We had a delightful day there. 

They say it takes a week, we had it down in a very thorough day.

We also visited the excellent Reina Sofia but unfortunately had no time to see the Thyssen or Sorolla Museums, which are reportedly excellent. 

I would love to spend a month in Madrid and never leave. I love the people, culture, language, art, nightlife and food.

We did see a show of Sorolla's garden paintings at the National Gallery at the Alhambra Palace and it was fabulous.

The next city I can talk about is Florence. We had a wonderful time at the Uffizi, that is until one or both of us got lost.

Which painting rises to the top of my memory? 

Definitely the Caravaggio painting of Medusa. That one will keep you up at night.

Although this Michelangelo fellow was pretty slick too.

That is sort of where I am at with Europe. 

Leslie is far more well traveled.

No Tate for me, or Victoria and Albert, no Hermitage, no Pergamon.

Not because I didn't want to but life interceded and clipped our wings.

We get and see what we are privileged and allowed to experience in our short lifetimes.

As for the United States of America, the list is quite different. 

My favorite museum here is the Art Institute of Chicago.

The Child's Bath, 1893 - Mary Cassatt

Cotton Pickers, 1945 - Thomas Hart Benton 

Nighthawks, 1893 - Edward Hopper

American Gothic, 1930 - Grant Wood

Self Portrait, 1887 - Vincent Van Gogh

Place is insanely good.

In second is the Metropolitan in New York. Love the Tiffany columns, the arms and armor. Miss it, need to go back.

Third for me might be the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, which is five museums rolled into one. Love the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, a small museum that packs a mighty punch. Great Rodins, Monets, so many great works.

I used to love the DeYoung but had a falling out with it aesthetically when it went so conspicuously modern. I actually don't care for most modern or contemporary museums.

Call me an old classical fuddy duddy, I am sorry.

What else? Love the Autry and the Fred Jones Jr. Museum at OU. At the latter I was allowed to hold a Pizarro canvas in my hands, actually had the run of the place one afternoon. 

Loved the Amon Carter, the Frick, Whitney and Guggenheim. Ditto the Huntington, Lacma and Hilbert.

Never have visited the Field, or the Detroit Institute or the National Gallery. Some day, perhaps. Nor have I been to the Barnes or the Boston Museum or the Philbrook or Gilcrease.

Anyway I hope that I can live vicariously through you on your travels.

If you are in a foreign land and are able to make your way to a museum, please share your experiences with landlocked me and let me know what you see.