Museum Musings

We visited the art museum yesterday, and found it interesting, especially the giant painting that looked like a microscopic version of a plant stem mixed with a rainforest (it was somewhat abstract--that's my interpretation), and the neon, chaotic re-do of Rembrandt's "Nightwatch."

We also found an entire room of creepy, disturbing, gigantic paintings--the two mona lisa reinterpretations were icky. Yes, icky.

There was an exhibit of works by Paul Cezanne, demonstrating his influence on modern painting--his works, mixed with those of artists who came after him and were "under the influence" of his style. I was surprised at how much he influenced photography. Or at least at how much people think he influenced photography. Interesting.

Here's a painting Cezanne did in 1877, called "Victor Choquet, seated"

It caught my eye because it reminded me of this painting we covered with the kids in the art masterpiece program at the Adventurers' school this past spring:

This one was painted by James Abbot McNeill Whistler (but it's not his mother) in 1858. Whistler was American, but he spent most of his time in Europe. I'm curious whether Cezanne had ever seen it. The composition is so similar--very closely cropped, edges of picture frames, bold horizontal lines, very still. The use of color is very different though...

There was an entire room full of still life paintings of fruit, such as this one: Cezzane's "Five Apples"

Venom was not suitably impressed. She thought it somewhat silly that so many artists were obsessed with painting something so boring. A discussion via email ensued...

Me:

Maybe this is why they paint fruit...

"With an apple I will astonish Paris."

"The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution."

~Cezanne

Venom:

wow... um he is crazzy. a carrot cannot do that.... its a carrot. However, if the person looking at the carrot had some mental disability and the color orange caused him to get violent, then it might. But really, pigs will fly before a perfectly sane person goes "look! there's a carrot!!! I must over throw the President!!!!!!!!!"

Note to self: Take the kids to museums more often--It's fun!