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I will agree that the Manet/Degas exhibit is outstanding. As a Met member, I saw the member preview and it was on a Friday at around noon - super crowded. Tomorrow night I have a virtual opening tour for the new exhibit, Matisse, Derain and the Origins of Fauvism. As a Jewish Museum member I did just see a curator's tour virtually for the new Chloe exhibt.
Just back from England and Scotland where I was able to visit the National Gallery in Edinburgh, the Kelvingrove in Glasgow as well as the small Museum of Contemporary Art and in London, the Courtauld, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern with the new El Anastsui exhibit just set to open. I also got to visit the newly reopened National Portrait Gallery, always one of my favorites. Not quite the same thing as a museum exhibit but the art on display permanently in Windsor Castle is of course second to none. |
Madam, I think you’re the first person I know to have been to the National Portrait Gallery in London since it reopened. How did you find it? What’s different from before? Very jealous of your seeing the El Anatsoui exhibition, I’d love to see that!!
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We just got back from a week in New York and hit a lot of museums: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (including the Manet/Degas exhibit), The Whitney Museum of American Art, the 911 Memorial museum, the American National History Museum, The Brooklyn Museum and the Cooper-Hewitt.
We have visited the Met several times before and always find it amazing. Even though we had timed tickets for the Manet/Degas exhibit (on Monday morning) it was too crowded for me to thoroughly enjoy although the art was lovely. I was glad to escape and preferred viewing some of the other galleries. We had also visited the ANHM many years ago and had a great time this time but felt we barely scratched the surface of all that is available. We had been to the 911 Memorial site previously but this was our first time inside the museum. It was very well done and very moving. The Whitney, Brooklyn and Cooper-Hewitt museums were all new to us. I found the Whitney a bit disappointing although we had a nice time visiting the surrounding areas. We had a great docent tour of one of the exhibits at the Cooper-Hewitt which was very helpful as design is something I know little about. We loved the architecture of the Cooper-Hewitt building and were delighted it wasn't too crowded despite being there on a weekend. The Brooklyn Museum was a very nice surprise and we enjoyed both the Spike Lee exhibit and Monet to Morisot. Unfortunately, the museum closed at 2 pm with no prior announcement because of the protest that was expected to start later that day. We now need a vacation to rest up from our vacation! |
So the National Portrait Gallery. It was actually 50 years ago that I first visited this museum in my 5 month, $5.00 a day trip (and yes back then you could live well on $5.00 a day). Last time I was in London was about 20 years ago and my husband and I didn't get there as it was his first time, part of a business trip and I met him and we added on another week or so and so that time the priority museums were the British Museum, National Gallery and the Tate Modern. We did so many things on that trip including the Tower, boat trip down the Thames to Greenwich, day trip tour to Stonehenge and Bath, matinee at Shakespeare's Globe of Taming of the Shrew, discount tickets that I had bought in Leicester Square to see Anything Goes, day trip to Hampton Court Palace and so on and so on. So I only really remembered the collection as being outstanding, not really the building itself. With the renovation you take an escalator to the top and begin there. We lucked out picking up a guided Highlights of the Museum tour by a staff educator after we were there for about 20 minutes, and then we went back to explore more on our own.
Tate Modern always a pleasure and we didn't get to spend much time there this time around. We did once see an outstanding El Anatsui exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum in which we watched a film and learned so much about his work and his process. The current exhibit at the Tate Modern includes commissioned work specific to the site so not sure about the potential for the exhibit to travel. |
Madam397, thank you for the details about the National Portrait Gallery. I think I would love a tour there, so will remember to do so when I return to London. Ooooh, and I think I saw the same El Anatsui exhibit at Brooklyn Museum. I posted photos of his work on Instagram and tagged him, and he wrote a nice reply!
KTTravel, I wasn't thrilled with the Cooper Hewitt when we went when it re-opened. I wonder if I'd appreciate it more with a docent who could offer up some context? For Frans Hals fans, there is a large exhibition at the National Gallery London on through January, and it looks quite exhaustive. I've yet to figure out if this is the same show that will be at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam Feb-June next year. Anyone know? With JetBlue now flying Boston to Amsterdam, that's a very tempting long weekend! |
One of the features I especially like about galleries are the furniture, not because they are necessarily comfortable or well designed but because they are often interestingly designed with little focus on utility or cost. Once such bench is the band-benches of the Dutch National Glass museum which i had the opportunity to crawl all over in 2022. Wonderfully designed they were too long and in the wrong wood for serious benches but modelled (plus kids kept undoing them so they fell apart in the museum) some time-worn oak now adorn my sitting room. Photos are available on request, or else go visit the Glass museum.
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Originally Posted by bilboburgler
(Post 17509640)
One of the features I especially like about galleries are the furniture, not because they are necessarily comfortable or well designed but because they are often interestingly designed with little focus on utility or cost. Once such bench is the band-benches of the Dutch National Glass museum which i had the opportunity to crawl all over in 2022. Wonderfully designed they were too long and in the wrong wood for serious benches but modelled (plus kids kept undoing them so they fell apart in the museum) some time-worn oak now adorn my sitting room. Photos are available on request, or else go visit the Glass museum.
I also really enjoy furniture design galleries. One reason the V&A is such a favorite of mine. Everything from Tudor up through Charles Rennie Mackintosh to Moderne/Art Deco to modern 3D printed furniture. |
I’m probably the last person on this thread to visit London’s Courtauld gallery, but did so last week and loved it.
From Manet’s ‘A Bar at the Folies-Bergère’ to that iconic blue staircase, it was all superb and easy to see. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...de0005660.jpeg |
If anyone is interested, there is the BRAFA Art Fair in Brussels in late January - early February, not just for admiring European art but for taking some home as well ...
https://www.facebook.com/brafaartfair/ Lavandula |
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That joinery looks interesting. What (if any) purpose does the twisted rope/cord/whatever serve?
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janisj, to start with I struggle to explain physical stuff without waving my hands, so you'll have to imagine that.
None of the joints are "made" they are free to move, though out of habit they are tightish fits. The twisted rope imparts a tension in the leg stretchers which pull in the tenons and so lock up all the joints. On the original bench, which was three times as long and made of a weaker wood this imparts a slight upwards bow to the seat, while my oak just stays flat. Without the rope the bench would sway and the legs splay. I left the tenons slightly proud as it helps dissassembly with a mallet. I assume, in the museum small children loosen the cords to great amusement and gales of laughter. Something I feel art galleries often lack. I used to carry a BS button on my phone, Mrs Bilbo asked me to take it off after the Bilbao incident, to entertain small kids when I found a piece of pretentious "art". Just to be clear I love art galleries I just see them as potential sources of interesting design, comedy, flim-flam and of course to quote the Greatest American "We cannot all see alike, but we can all do good" |
Eco-protestors apparently just targeted Botticelli's 'Venus' @ the Uffizi.
I am done. the artistic |
Originally Posted by zebec
(Post 17535436)
Eco-protestors apparently just targeted Botticelli's 'Venus' @ the Uffizi.
I am done. the artistic not a lot of attack, I've seen worse on monty python eg |
Not in Europe but just back from a Florida trip in which I enjoyed two exhibits at the Nova SE University Art Museum. The first is the Color Field artists and that will be on until June. The second is an exhibit featuring the life work of Waltesse Ting. Outstanding and such an interesting and varied life and career. There is also a small Glackens drawing exhibit as the predecessor museum to this institution was given the bulk of the Glackens estate by his widow. Her work and some of their daughter's work is included. This museum is in downtown Ft Lauderdale, right by Las Olas and the Riverwalk.
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