Sure, it's a nice painting and definitely worth seeing, but what makes it deserving of the title, "THE VERY MOST FAMOUS PIECE OF ART IN THE ENTIRE WORLD THROUGHTOUT ALL OF HUMAN HISTORY?" It's really just "alright" if you ask me.
Now this is an incredible work of art! One of the greatest sculptures EVER CREATED. It's underrated if anything.
See how passionate and opinionated we can get about our favorite pieces?
Because I have studied the sciences my whole life, which are mostly objective, I find looking at art to be a completely opposite experience, one that is obviously subjective. As a science teacher, when I am asked a question about why something is accepted in science, I answer conventionally. For example, “I accept ‘The Theory of Plate Tectonics’ because sufficient evidence exists which supports it.” But when I look at art and someone asks me about it, a perfectly acceptable answer can be, “I don’t know. I just like it.”
This week Jason gave me two unique opportunities to see some pretty great art. Last Tuesday, I got to go with two of our dearest friends who were here visiting Jason, Matt Kartchner and Chris Ecalono, to Milan, Italy for the first time. We drove there in the morning, took a tour of Milan, then drove back in the evening. Even though it was entertaining to see Chris "Ecalono" discover his Italian roots, the highlight for me was being able to see DaVinci’s “The Last Supper.” I didn’t know DaVinci painted this masterpiece, which is HUGE, on a wall rather than on canvas. The building was almost destroyed in WWII, but the wall with the painting in it was miraculously saved from the bombing thanks to some simple scaffolding and sandbags. Also, I had seen many reproductions of the work like the one below, but I never would have recognized that they were touched-up copies of the real thing:
This is a very "prettified" version of the real thing. It only vaguely resembles the actual painting if you ask me. |
This is more like it! |
My second opportunity to see art was yesterday. I went to the Picasso museum, which is only 20 minutes away in Antibes, BY MYSELF! Even though I couldn’t even find anyone to go with me, I still enjoyed it. I learned that Picasso lived in this area of France for most of his life, and that after WWII, he used the Grimaldi castle (of the royal family of Monaco) as a studio for several months. This same castle is now a museum dedicated to Picasso, and it contains all the pieces he created while there, some 250 pieces. Granted none of them are his “most important” works, and I didn’t recognize a single piece, but I still liked it. Some of Picasso’s art looks like a young child could have made it, and I was not impressed. Honestly, some of it was just crayon sketches of a simple lime and a squid on paper that must have taken him MAYBE 5 seconds to draw. But a few pieces, like two of his concrete sculptures, and several of his paintings were distinctly Picasso and very much worth seeing. His most famous work from this time is called “La Joie de Vivre,” which means “The Joy of Living,” and I thought it was both silly and fun. Here’s what it looks like:
No, I don't pretend to "get" this painting, but it does convey a certain joviality when you look at it, so it is appropriately named at least |
One of the coolest things in the museum was a large collection of black and white photographs taken of Picasso with many of the works currently in the museum. They were very artsy-looking, but it was interesting to actually be in the same studio where he had created those exact pieces I could look at. Can you believe no one would come with me??? What’s wrong with people? Thanks to Jason for encouraging me to go, even alone. I know he would have gone with me, but he watched the kids instead.
8 comments:
I am so jealous. I too am quite ignorant when it comes to art, but I feel so much more knowledgeable after reading your blog.
Art fascinates me, but I totally don't get it, most of the time. :) I would have jumped at the chance to go to the museum with you!!
Ah, a subject I am knowledgable about! I have a 5 page paper on why the mona lisa is famous if you want to read it. Picasso is a genious; he invented cubism, collage, and he was the first to sculpt simple everyday object. Until then sculpture was used to recpresent political leaders or mythical portrayals. I was just thinkint the other day that if I were living in France right now, I would be going to Paris once a month to look at Art. You HAVE to go to Musee D'Orsay. I have a paper about art there too. Manet's Luncheon on the Grass changed painting forever. Yes, Manet. Different artist than Monet. I could go on forever.
Katrina,
Loved your comment and was not surprised by it. I am happy to say I have been to the Orsay museum in paris and absolutely LOVED it, even more than the Louvre. I'm going again next month when my mom and sisters visit, and I will pay particular attention to the Manet painting you mentioned. It sure would be fun going to these museums with you so you could show me what's what (hint, hint).
I would have gone with you Tiffany. Last night about 25 sisters from our ward went to the Carl Bloch exhibit at BYU. No kids, just women! It was surprisingly peaceful and so beautiful. I wish you could have been there with us!
I love that you would venture out and take advantage of the Picasso museum, keeping an open mind about it's contents. La Pieta is still one of my favorinte moments of our Italy trip!!
Loved reading this one and Katrina's comment too. As soon as I read this post, I turned around and started talking about it with people. Just like your hummingbird post. I've been spreading that knowledge too. :) I just went to my first art museum with Scott and Katrina when they were down here. I never realized that I hadn't gone before. sad.
I've always had the same thoughts as you about art...and what makes it "good" or not. It was cool reading your thoughts...:)
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