OS and I were both off from work today so we decided to explore Philly a wee bit. I discovered, via Philly's tourist website, that the Museum of art would be open today because of the Columbus day holiday (it's typically closed on Monday. So we headed down there to take a look see.
For as long as I've lived not too far from Philly, I've rarely taken the time to really enjoy the city. It is a beautiful city full of history, great restaurants, nightlife, and loads and loads of traffic. Sorry, but it's true.
On entering the museum from the back entrance, we walked to the information desk where we talked to a very helpful attendant. She asked if OS and I were in school and promptly gave us student discounts of which we were not initially aware.
We started out at the European art exhibit where we took quite a few pics of paintings and sculptures we found interesting.
The first artifact that caught my attention was this "wallpaper" from who knows what century. It's interesting to see what was in 'vogue' centuries ago.
This painting, "Horses at a Fountain" by Eugene Delacroix, 1862, was my first introduction to truly studying a painting in order to notice all the little details the artist painstakingly includes in his work and to try to identify the emotion/portrayed in the painting or analyze the story the painting attempts to convey. the audio commentary associated with this painting pointed out the artists use of water to connect all the different portions of this work; from the well, to the floor, to the woman, and finally to the rooftop directly above the woman.
here's another painting that caught my eye due to the intricate details depicted. the artists brush strokes are clearly evident and while this type or art is not my favorite, I respect that this is not easy feat. "Pont Neuf, Paris: Afternoon Sunshine" by Camille Pissaro, 1901
A few honorable mentions
I took this picture of an attendant staring up at the sky through the curtains. His job must be mind. numbingly. boring. Just standing there to keep folks in line and remind the rebels not to use flash photography. poor guy. at least he gets paid for it.
Boys will be boys eh? "Boy with Toy Soldiers" by Antonio Mancini, 1876
This was my and hubby's second favorite of all the paintings we saw at the museum. "Arrangement in Black" by James Abbot Mcneill Whistler, 1883
This is the description that accompanied the painting above. I thought it humorous that the subject's family thought the picture represented "a street walker encouraging a shy follower with a backward glance".
I'm not sure why i took a picture of this except maybe because it was such a dark painting. It looks like a scene in a horror flick. "Nocturne" by James Abbot Mcneill Whistler, 1875-80
Finally, we ended up in this gorgeous rotunda with an awesome sculpture in the center of the tiny water fountain. It was pretty difficult to get a good, non-blurry picture of the sculpture due to the low light and my inability to use flash. Come to think of it, are those kids on the right attempting to draw the sculpture? Adorable. I totally see myself bringing my kids to the museum and educating them in all things snooty pretty early on. He he.
Entering the Modern and Contemporary exhibit. Now this is more my and hubby's taste. I was excited to see what we would find here.
"Dances at the Spring" by Francis Picabia, 1912. On initial inspection, both hubby and I thought this painting above was of a couple in the throes of passion, or at least in a heavy make-out session. Per the description though, not so much.
This picture below was of the gorgeous artwork on the ceiling. Per the tour guide (we latched on to a tour during it's last half hour ), the museum purchased this from an artist. not the painting itself but the instructions necessary to replicate the art. That's pretty interesting. Paying not for the artist to do the work, but to provide instructions on what paints to use and the spacing and location of all the basic shapes. The structure of the ceiling made the simple artwork really stand out.
Hmmm... the things they call art. This was actually a beer sign or so that the artist re-worked into what's now on display.
Now this was my absolute favorite piece. I would definitely buy this for our living room. Alas, I fear I may have to sell my house and all my earthly possessions and I still wouldn't come close to being able to afford it. This painting was part of the surrealist movement. "To Escape the Absolute" by Roberto Matta, 1944
Some more pics
He he, I'm such a nerd.
I knew the subject matter of this painting before I even saw it's name. "Jesus Performing Miracles" by Lucien Simon, 1894.
Now this, this was hubby's favorite painting and I think it's pretty clear why. The artists attention to detail is amazing and very evident in the way the ground was painted. So awesome. "Liverpool from Wapping" by John Atkinson Grimshaw, 1885.
I really should crop and adjust the angle of the photo but I can't be bothered right now. here are some detail shots.
This sculpture makes me laugh every time I see it. At first, it looked like a little girl in pain as she struggled with a chicken. Why on earth is she carrying a chicken almost as big as she is?? Turns out it's a boy. "Boy with a Rooster" by Adriano Cecioni, 1868
Rear view aka why I thought it was a girl
Wow, that's a ton of pictures and I'm not done recapping the day yet. Oh well, more pics to come.
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