Jan 3, 2014

SWPL

MrsZ is here visiting for the holidays, and we spent a day with her brother and sister-in-law over the weekend doing SWPL.

More specifically, we spent an afternoon at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. My hometown has a fairly decent art museum, but nothing on this level.

There is something thoroughly hypnotic - and rather intimidating - about being able to stand inches from a work from one of the masters and examine the individual brush strokes.

Or stand a few feet (with a pane of glass between) from a reliquary containing a finger bone from St. John the Baptist. I am not particularly expressive about my own personal faith, but this item... is holy.

And last but not least, this particular painting grabbed me in ways I can't entirely describe:
Poplars, Sunset at Eragny; Camille Pissarro

Standing close to it, I quickly lost the proverbial forest for the trees. I was letting my eyes wander around the image, looking at the individual strokes, branches, background colors... until I took a few steps back and suddenly the whole picture was there to see. I spent another quarter-hour sitting on a bench in front of this piece, just looking.

I'm now looking for a source for a quality print... if anyone knows one, I'm all ears.

We were nowhere near seeing the whole museum - there were at least three more wings and an entire outside sculpture garden we didn't see - but that's okay. Our total cost for the day? Gas money to get there and five bucks to park. The museum is free.

Magic.

4 comments:

Bob said...

It's best to be skeptical about relics of early saints.

ZerCool said...

Bob, speaking strictly of authenticity, you are absolutely right.

But - a reliquary is an item of faith, and what is faith but belief without proof?

Home on the Range said...

I will have to stop there, next time I drive out to visit the offspring.

I did some checking on line. That artists has quite a few of her pictures available as prints, but not that one, that I could find anywhere. Sorry.

Glad you got to spend the holidays with your bride.

ZerCool said...

Brigid, next time you're passing through, let us know. We'd be more than happy to return the hospitality you've shown us. :)