Art, art and more art

Some of the highlights of my recent forays over to France, the Netherlands and Denmark...

The Nymphéas at Musée de l'Orangerie (by Monet) - one of the best things created by a person, ever. There was also a great collection of art there, in addition.

Impression Sunrise and the Berthe Morisot paintings at the Musée Marmottan.

The Kandinsky show at the Centre Pompidou.

The Camille Claudel sculptures at the Musée Rodin.

Various galleries in Paris - esp. those in the Rue de Seine area.

Musée National du Moyen Age-Thermes de Cluny - esp. the Lady and the Unicorn series of Tapestries.

Various Dejeuner sur l'herbe paintings at the Musée d'Orsay (Including Manet's and Monet's), plus Monet's Poppies at Argenteuil .

The gardens/ponds at Monet's place in Giverny.

The Musée des Impressionnismes Giverny - the museum as well as the poppy field.

The gardens of the Hotel Baudy.

(I recommend staying at The Robins).

The Van Gogh Museum. They even had Starry Night from the MOMA - for their Van Gogh and the colours of the night exhibit. I also enjoyed seeing his progression/change when he went to Paris to study art.

The Van Gogh Museum is sticking to the old story - but there is a new book out by by Hans Kaufmann and Rita Wildegans of Hamburg University, Van Goghs Ohr, making the case that that Gauguin cut part of Van Gogh's ear off in a fight. Gauguin fled after that - Van Gogh covered up for his friend. I'm inclined to believe this version. (link to article in the Independent.uk).

The Vermeers and Rembrandts at the Rijksmuseum. Also Amsterdams Historical Museum. Various art galleries in Amsterdam.

The NationalMuseet in Copenhagen - prehistoric and Viking art & metals. The Gauguins at the Ny Carlsberg Glytotek. The Statens Museum for Kunst in Copenhagen. I enjoyed seeing the Danish versions of various modern art movements.

Randers Kunstmuseum & Kulturhistorisk Museum Randers.

The Louisiana Museum for Moderne Kunst in Humlebæk, Denmark - great modern collection.

And back in the States - on my detour home - I was able to see the Hudson Valley Center-Contemporary, in Peekskill, NY - which had a great show - Origins. It included: Zhang Huan, Ash Army, Bruce Bickford's animation, Prometheus Garden, Huma Bhabha's Fear Eats the Soul and Anselm Kiefer's Rorate Caeli.

I also visited the Storm King Art Center - I esp. wanted to see Maya Lin's Wave Field - but the whole thing was great.

And MASS MoCA. esp. the Anselm Kiefer show. I love how he does textures and landscapes.