Becky's photoblog

Art in the Bloom at the MFA is a feast for all of the senses (except touch of course!)

It’s always so nice to go from a long day at work straight to the MFA. We were there for a lecture, but before that, we visited the brand new Hokusai exhibit. We barely scratched the surface of an absolutely spectacular exhibit.

I had a much needed museum-day, wandering around the MFA with my sketchbook and my camera. It had been too long since the last time I brought my pencils to the galleries.

In one of the galleries, there’s a beautiful sculpture that has caught my attention before, and this time, the most magnificent light was shining on it from the nearby foyer. My photos don’t do it justice, but the light made this gorgeous marble sculpture look like it was made out of fresh snow. I couldn’t get enough of it!

The sculpture is called Blind Cupid, because it depicts Cupid hiding behind Venus, playing a little game of hide-and-seek (so the card says), and Cupid’s eyes are closed. It’s by Bela Lyon Pratt, whose name rang a bell. I ran in to Gardner friends who helped me figure it out – Bela Lyon Pratt is also responsible for the gorgeous sculptures in front of the Boston Public Library.

Please click here for the MFA’s page on Blind Cupid

Bela Lyons Pratt created two grand sculptures for the main entrance to the Boston Public Library. The sculptures depict Art and Science (this photo shows Art), and they are each displayed between pedestals inscribed with notable names from each field.

The MFA also has Pratt’s miniatures of these sculptures: Art and Science.

The MFA’s Christmas tree, looking up towards Sargent’s Rotunda:

Sargent’s Watercolors at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

The MFA has outdone itself again. Instead of yet another exhibit of pretty paintings (which I wouldn’t have minded), they are currently hosting a phenomenal exhibit of Samurai armor (my photoblog entry from the exhibit). They have done a stellar job of displaying this collection, but they didn’t stop there. They partnered with a comic book artist who draws samurai, and a video game company that animates samurais from the comic book. In doing so, they have  brought together a magnificent ancient Japanese craft, a truly talented comic book artist, and the under-appreciated art of video game animation and given us the opportunity to consider how all three art forms relate to eachother.

Stan Sakai is the writer and artist of Usagi Yojimbo, a comic book series about a samurai rabbit. Brian has been a big fan of this series for a very long time, so were right there with all the other geeks and nerds at the front of the line waiting to hear him speak. But Stan did more than just talk about his process. He showed us. They set him up at the podium with an overhead projector, and while he talked to us like we were all old friends, he was also drawing and doodling on MFA letterhead. We watched his characters come to life right before our eyes. It was truly an honor to watch the master at work. And he was hysterical.

Before he spoke, we heard from the president of Happy Giant, the video game company that created a Usagi Yojimbo video game, with special content based on the MFA’s Samurai exhibit. The MFA is exhibiting ancient armor, and they partnered with video game animators, who were in turn partnering with Stan Sakai, and the result is a samurai rabbit animated in authentic Japanese armor. Hopefully, this is the future of artistic collaboration.

After picking up a few special items for our moms at the gift shop, we visited the MFA’s Japanese garden to round out our visit.

The MFA has renovated a gallery of Dutch paintings and added a few cases of gorgeous vases and plates etc. I love being able to see something that I’ve seen before in a new light.

It was a madhouse at the MFA today. Gorgeous day, the semester’s almost over, the terrorists have been caught, the Samurai exhibit just opened, the Michelangelo exhibit just opened, and Art in Bloom is happening. For three days, gorgeous floral displays are placed throughout the galleries near the work of art that they were designed to be displayed with. They’re absolutely gorgeous, and it draws a huge crowd. In fact, I left just as a huge school group was arriving.

If I could have avoided the crowds, I would have, but I couldn’t wait another day to see Michelangelo’s drawings. Usually, I miss out on seeing Art in Bloom because I would rather avoid the crowds, but this year, I was right there with all of the other ladies oohing and aahing and taking pictures. The flowers were gorgeous, but my favorite shot from this group is the one on the right. The pattern created by the shadows of well-lit flowers, juxtaposed with the tile pattern of the fireplace behind it, took my breath away.

Michelangelo, Study for the Head of the Madonna for the Doni Tondo, 1508,Casa Buonarroti, Florence. Photo Source: mfa.org

This past Tuesday, the Museum of Fine Arts opened an exhibit of 26 drawings by Michelangelo, borrowed from the Casa Buonarroti in Florence. I had to wait five whole days before I could get over there to see the exhibit. It’s an extremely rare treat to see works by Michelangelo in the United States, not to mention in my own neighborhood.

Thank you to the MFA for exhibiting Michelangelo’s Drawings and giving me the chance to notice an interesting connection between two unrelated works.

When I saw the drawing on the right at the MFA, my first thought was of the figure of Jonah on the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. When I read the label, I realized my mistake. It’s a study for the Doni Tondo, Michelangelo’s painting of the Holy Family for the Doni family. But was I wrong?

According to the Uffizi’s website, Michelangelo painted the Doni Tondo in 1506-08, and according to Casa Buonarroti’s website, the drawing is dated 1508. So it’s quite likely (and who am I to argue with the scholars) that this drawing is a study for the figure of the Madonna for the Doni Tondo.

But Michelangelo also started painting the Sistine Chapel Ceiling in 1508, so it’s also possible that this drawing is mislabeled, and it’s actually a study for the figure of Jonah in the Sistine Chapel.

Unfortunately, my theory falls apart when you consider that Michelangelo frescoed the ceiling from one end to the other, and that he started on the other end (the “Noah” end). In 1508, he was still a few years away from painting Jonah.

But … take a close look at the open mouth of the figure in the drawing (above), then take a look at the closed mouth of the Madonna in the Doni Tondo (below left), and the open mouth of Jonah from the Sistine Chapel Ceiling (below right).

You decide.

Michelangelo, Doni Tondo, 1506-1508, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Photo source: Wikipedia	Michelangelo, The Prophet Jonah, 1508-1512, The Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Vatican City. Photo source: The Web Gallery of Art

Shameless self-promotion: 
In 2006, I created an interactive exploration of the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, identifying each figure in each panel. Please click here to visit my Sistine Chapel Project, and to see where Jonah is on the ceiling.

I had a cold last week, which kept us from seeing the MFA’s new Samurai exhibit during the Members’ Preview days. We finally got the chance to see it tonight, and it was spectacular! When it comes to art, ancient Japanese armor is far from my usual favorites, but this is an exquisite collection of truly magnificent craftsmanship. Brian loves this kind of stuff and we were both really excited to see this exhibit.

This is a picture of the facade of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Flags are at half-mast all over the city because of the bombing two days ago. Many of us have barely scratched the surface when it comes to processing what has happened. In one of many gestures that makes me love my city even more, Boston museums offered free admission in recognition that museums offer a place for peaceful reflection.

You got that right.

After we saw the exhibit, we decided to walk up Huntington Ave towards Copley Square, which is still blocked off as a crime scene. We got up to the Christian Science Plaza during that golden hour of dusk when the light is perfect. Museums are great, but the Christian Science Plaza is often where I go when I’m in need of peaceful reflection. It’s absolutely beautiful. I can stand in one place and see four of my favorite buildings all at once, without moving my neck, and their reflections in the pool are simply stunning.

We continued up Huntington Ave until we arrived at the edge of Copley Square. News trucks were absolutely everywhere. Bright lights, cameras, cables, equipment and a lot of people doing nothing. At that point, there was so little to report, and everything that could be said had already been said over and over. I snapped a few pictures and immediately felt bad for acting like a tourist, and yet it’s so important to capture this moment. I’ve taken hundreds of photos of Copley Square. This is my city.

The second-half of Spring semester is always the busiest most exciting time of the year for me at work, and this year, it’s also a very exciting time to be an art-lover in Boston. Here’s why:

At the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum:

• Anders Zorn: A European Artist Seduces America
  To put it simply, this exhibit has very, very beautiful paintings. Mrs. Gardner recognized and supported the talents of painters like Anders Zorn, and this intimate exhibit celebrates both their friendship and the gorgeous works of this little-known but enormously skilled painter. I’ve seen this exhibit several times, and it gets better every time. The exhibit is free with museum admission, and it’s open until May 13, which is really soon! Now is a great time to go see this exhibit because …

• The nasturtiums are up!
  Every year, the Gardner Museum’s talented gardeners grow long vines of nasturtiums and hang these bright orange beauties in Mrs. Gardner’s gorgeous courtyard. Why? Because Mrs. Gardner did it, and it’s a wonderful tradition that the museum keeps up. It’s not Spring in Boston without the nasturtiums or the return of the Red Sox. These delicate vines will hopefully hang in the courtyard until the annual celebration of Mrs. Gardner’s birthday on April 14th.
  Check out my photoblog entry on Isabella’s Nasturtiums
  

At the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

• The Postcard Age
  This exhibit has been up for a while, and I finally got the chance to see it today. It’s only open until April 14th, so if you haven’t seen it yet, get your butt over there. First of all, the way the exhibit is displayed is really wonderful. They have a lot of postcards displayed on both sides of temporary walls throughout the one-room exhibit, and yet the room still feels very open and spacious. What could have been a very overwhelming exhibit of lots of little images is instead a very pleasant visit to the world of the early 1900s. The postcards themselves are really gorgeous examples of illustrations and graphic arts. They just don’t do things now like they did in the old days …
  Check out my photoblog entry with some photos from the exhibit

• The Triumph of the Winter Queen
  The MFA has a zillion fascinating paintings, and they chose this one (on anonymous loan) for an entire exhibit focused on this one piece. While most paintings just have that little card next to them with some information, this painting has an entire room full of detailed analysis, including a royal family tree and a magnificent video discussing the painting. I love that they did this because it gives you the chance to really dig in deep on the significance of this one painting, and perhaps it makes you wonder more about the story behind any other painting. This one is up until July 21st, so you have time, but don’t miss it!

Our household is wicked excited about these two exhibits opening very soon at the MFA:

• Samurai!: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection
  Maybe not exactly my thing, but Brian is very excited about this, and I heard from someone who saw a similar exhibit at the Met and she said it’s gorgeous. Opens April 14th

• Michelangelo: Sacred and Profane, Master Drawings from the Casa Buonarroti
  Some say that Michelangelo is overrated, but I think he is completely deserving of his reputation as one of the most talented and truly inspiring artists that ever lived. Most of his works are stuck to the walls in the Vatican or are part of chapels in Florence, so it is extremely rare to see works by Michelangelo in the United States. Do not miss the chance to see this exhibit. Opens April 21st

I love that I live within walking distance of two of my favorite museums in the entire world (and that is really saying something because I’ve been to a lot of museums). I finally got the chance to take a much-needed long walk and see some things I’ve been meaning to see. First, a visit to the MFA to check out The Postcard Age, a phenomenal exhibit that closes soon. Then, a quick spin around several of my favorite galleries, and then a visit to the wonderful exhibit on the Triumph of the Winter Queen before dashing through the Gardner Museum to see the gorgeous nasturtiums that just went up.

The Koch Gallery at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston

This is my favorite gallery in the new wing — gorgeous red silk, shiny gold frames and pristine white marble. I think they like this room so much, they decided to make the Koch Gallery more like it. Who can argue with that?

We brought a friend to the MFA this morning, and headed straight for our favorite gallery (partly because the bathrooms are right there, but that’s beside the point). We found out that our favorite gallery in the entire museum is being renovated! This photo is from a few years ago, and we’ll never see this again …

One of my favorite ways to spend a day off is visiting some of my favorite spots in Boston

I’m so excited about the new exhibit at the MFA! So excited that I showed up a day early … 

Today was a personal day and after a full day of errands, I had about an hour to run over to the MFA and check out the new exhibit. I guess I got my dates mixed up

But at least I was able to peak through the glass 🙂 I had a moment all to myself viewing the exhibit from a nearly empty corridor. There’s definitely something creepy and beautiful about seeing ancient works of art perfectly lit for viewing with no one looking

I couldn’t see the Aphrodite exhibit but I could visit the rest of the museum. This is probably my favorite room in the new American Wing. It’s curated to mimic the Paris Salon. Nothing beats the combination of white marble, red walls and gold frames.

Apologies for the picture quality … this was taken with my camera a few weeks ago

mmm Chihuly

Today was bring your whiny kids to the MFA Day. Always worth it though.