I had some time on a Boston layover and decide to visit the MFA Boston. I didn't give myself much time, but I was very happy I took the mile walk. Not having much time was made a lot better when I found out it was free being a veteran! That was a terrific surprise. It's a large building and I only saw a fraction of their collection, but it was great. Above left is the center atrium / cafeteria. The front of the building is the center shot and the dome is near the visitor's center. If you get to Boston and have time, this is a must-see.
This was the ticket. The highlight exhibit was "Van Gogh: The Roulin Family Portraits".
Even with the military ticket, that was a few extra dollars. Excellent collection.
Here are some shots of work I liked / of interest...
L: Anton Mauve, Carter on a Country Road, 1867
R: Afro Basaldella, Night Watchman, 1955
Why: I love the rather plain scenes Mauve chooses and how his use of light and overall simplicity make them so much more memorable than they ever would be. Mauve was related to Van Gogh by marriage. I snapped the Rest on the Flight into Egypt for several reasons. The lighting is, to me, perfect and the twist on a Bible story is something of which I'm a bit jealous. I think Bible stories are one of the best sources for ideas to paint. However, I don't think I would have been this creative when retelling this one. The colors and shapes of Night Watchman are what caught my eye. In my development of abstract, images like this help me focus my visions.
L: Pablo Picasso, Portrait of a Woman, 1910
C: Henri Matisse, Reclining Nude, 1923-25
R: Henri Matisse, Carmelina, 1903
Why: I took a picture of the Picasso because it's always interesting to see legendary paintings in person. However, I do like his early Cubist work. It's also fun to see if you can see what the artist imagined. Even if you don't you can see what you imagine - which is the fun of abstract / Cubism. I took pics of the Matisse works because it reminds me that details matter and details don't matter. It's really how you play it. I also liked the difference of two figures over 20 years. And, they are of course, by Matisse.
L: Hans Memling, Christ Blessing, 1481 (544 years old)
R: John Singer Sargent, Helen Sears, 1895
Why: I thought I'd seen Christ Blessing before, but I am not sure. If it's been in the MFA Boston for a few years, it's likely I hadn't seen it before. It's over 500 years old - a reason in itself to take a picture - but also such a timeless image. I took the Degas, because it's Degas and he has great work. This isn't particularly a personal favorite, but the women are immediately recognizable as Degas. My mom has a print of The Absinthe Drinker which has hung in their house for 40 years so I saw a Degas quite often. His Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer was also in the museum but I didn't take a picture since it was in a case. I took a picture of Helen Sears simply because it's a Sargent. Not a favorite and not sure I even knew this painting, but I'm a Sargent fan. One of my favs, Rehearsal of the Pasdeloup Orchestra, was actually on loan from MFA Boston to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
L: Paul Gauguin, Women and a White Horse, 1903
C: Odilon Redon, The Angel of Destiny, circa 1899
R: Edvard Munch, Ingeborg Kaurin, circa 1912
Why: I took the Gauguin because he's famous. I'm not a particular fan of this work but he's known for his lush landscapes which he continued even in bad health. Also, I thought it kind of cool that he added a cross at the top - which actually marks the cemetery where he was laid to rest. I took a picture of The Angel of Destiny because I think it is great. The sky, the face, the rough lines - to me just perfect. I didn't know Redon, but he was a contemporary of the Impressionists. He found that style limiting and preferred instead an art of mystery and evocation. I took a picture of Ingeborg Kaurin because it's a Munch and I hadn't seen many of his depictions of people. Munch is famous for The Scream, 1893, but I also like Despair which was painted a year later in 1894. I wasn't even aware of it until I made this post.
L: Paul Cézanne, Madame Cezanne in a Red Armchair, circa 1877
C: Max Ernst, The King Playing with the Queen, 1944
R: Andy Warhol, Oxidation Painting, 1978
Why: I took a picture of the Cézanne because of who he is and I thought it's nice he used his wife more often that other models. I took a picture of the Ernst because I'd seen his work in San Francisco, Charlotte and Hartford, but had never seen a sculpture. I like this piece. I took the Warhol picture because he's famous but also because it shows how people's minds can go to interesting places. Paintings like this were maid with urine on canvases coated with copper.
L: Claude Monet, Grainstack (Sunset), circa 1891
C: Jean-François Millet, The Sower, 1850
R: Edouard Manet, Monk in Prayer, 1865
Why: I took a pic of Grainstack because it's a Monet and I used them as inspiration for a toilet seat I painted. It was a different stack, but the link above shows the entire series. The museum had an entire room for Monet. There were several Millet paintings, and similar to Mauve (above), he uses strong strokes and makes his impact with light. Traits I continue to work on and want to improve. Monk in Prayer was a must-take simply because it's a Manet. Maybe not his most famous, but a Manet nonetheless.
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L: Elihu Vedder, The Questioner of the Sphinx, 1863
R: Peter Paul Rubens, Mulay Ahmad, circa 1609
I had to take a picture of Vedder's painting. It strikes me as an excellent concept and the empty sky is perfect. I also think I've seen this before so to see it in person is always a nice surprise. I took a picture of Mulay because it's a Rubens. It's good to take note when you see something from names everyone knows.
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