I was reminded of a news story about five years ago in which a French woman was tried in court for kissing a painting in an art gallery, accidentally smearing it with her lipstick. It is the height of impulsivity, damaging a 2 million dollar painting like that, and I related to her exuberance and lack of forethought. I could picture myself doing something exactly this ridiculous. Especially after spending the day at the art gallery.
There are plenty of stonefaced security guards working in the Vancouver Art Gallery to ensure no one kisses their paintings, or takes photographs of them (why?) so I was unable to keep a record of what moved me most, and as soon as I stepped outside the walls of the gallery all the paintings and artists blurred together into one. So I don't really know what I loved the most anymore. I loved it all. (I did pay particular attention Gauguin because he came highly recommended by Susan.)
I did find a photograph online of a little sketch I saw in the gallery that made me laugh. This is a somewhat unfamous Picasso self-portrait drawn on a scrap of brown paper:
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2 comments:
And how did you like M. Gauguin? I adore his sun-drenched colors, the exuberant yet quiet beauty of his subjects.
The De Young Museum in SF had two exhibits of French Impressionists from the Musee D'Orsay last year and they had several guards per painting, vigilant that no one step over the line which separated us from the canvases. (I tried.) I'm so glad you were able to see these incredible works. It makes me breathless to stand before the very canvas that was touched by the artist - like a message in a bottle through time and space. You've made me remember that I need to go to a museum again SOON.
Loved Gauguin, but loved the landscapes/nature much more so that the people. I'm not sure why that was. Actually, I think I felt that way about all of them for some reason. It was wonderful, I agree, to be able to be so close to original works -- even with the severe-looking guards keeping an eye on me. I think that's why I liked the little Picasso doodle so much too, because it made the man seem so much more human. I find it fascinating how Impressionists could create their very intentional impression with so little detail. Kind of magical.
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