Above: Caixa Forum, Madrid, Spain.
In my life, I have been very fortunate to see a number of master pieces up close and personal, one might ask why is it important to see art in the flesh? The main reason to view artwork personally is for the experience of seeing the world through different eyes. Aristotle once said, "the aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance". The experience of seeing artwork can be up lifting, inspiring, and often thought provoking. For artists and art enthusiasts you can also uncover techniques by viewing work in person; often times there are many subtleties within the piece to be discovered. Nuances in colour, as well as brush strokes are often lost when a painting is reproduced, in a book for instance. Also, I am often surprised by the scale of many iconic works. A prime example of this is Leonardo Divinci’s Mona Lisa (also known as La Gioconda) because of the paintings notoriety, one assumes the piece is larger than it really is. In life the Mona Lisa is actually quite small, with dimensions of 20 7/8 x 30". On the opposite end of the spectrum Picasso’s Guernica, is shockingly large and it's massive scale is both awe inspiring and extremely moving in person.
In the list below I have outlined some museums I have been fortunate enough to visit and would highly recommend. Get out there and see art, on your next vacation or in your own community at local museums, galleries, or artist run centres.
Lisa's Picks
Musée de l'Orangerie- is an art gallery of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings located on the Place de la Concorde in Paris. The high light of this museum are the massive panels of Monet’s water lilies that were inspired by his own garden. http://www.musee-orangerie.fr/
Museo Reina Sofia- If you are ever in Madrid, Museo Reina Sofia features Picasso’s Guernica. The massive painting is a must see. This enormous piece is very moving and was painted in response to the bombing of Guernica, in the Basque Country of Spain.
Caixa Forum- This relatively new facility in the heart of Madrid, features rotating post modern art exhibitions and the dynamic architecture is amazing. Designed by Herzog & de Meuron the exterior of the building in collaboration with French botanist Patrick Blanc integrates living plants juxtaposed against a rusted sheet metal exterior (pictured above).
National Gallery of Canada- Closer to home, if you are in the Ottawa area check out our own national treasures. The National Gallery of Canada features an excellent collection from artists from the Group of Seven.
Musee D’Orsay- Located in Paris, the museum holds mainly French art including paintings, sculptures, furniture, and photography, Musee d’Orsay is best known for its extensive collection of impressionist and post-impressionist masterpieces (the largest in the world) by such painters such as Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Gauguin and Van Gogh.
Musée d'Orsay: Overview
Above Picasso's, Guernica, oil on canvas, 776 x 349 cm, 1937
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