Art, more art, and a bit of shopping

Today was back-to-the-Met day. When I was here over Thanksgiving I never got to see "The Age of Rembrandt," which it turns out, is only incidentally about Rembrandt. It's really about the collectors who contributed to and built the Met. I found myself getting more than a little bored with the Dutch painters of Rembrandt's era, but developed a new appreciation for Franz Hals and Jan Steen. Information on the Hals painting said "indecent lovemaking and smoking were both bad for the soul, but only the latter was bad for the body." Steen was similarly lively.

More to my taste was "Bridging East and West," in the Chinese galleries. This show was also about collectors and their contributions to the museum, but the art was more to my taste.

After lunch in their cafeteria, which is quite good, I spent some time drooling over books in the museum shop, then took the bus down to 53rd St. and the American Museum of Folk Art, another lovely place overlooked by the tourists, thankfully. The exhibit,GILDED LIONS AND JEWELED HORSES: THE SYNAGOGUE TO THE CAROUSEL, had some lovely wood carvings and even more interesting papercuts.

Sated with art I went over to Rockefeller Center to go shopping at Kinokuniya, only to find they were closing that store and had moved across from Bryant Park. I got an interesting book on Japanese quilting at 50% off, then went over to the new store. Beautiful place with lots of wonderful Japanese art books. I resisted the temptation to buy still another one; I'm trying not to collect more books, ha ha.

From there it was only another block or two to visit the bead and trimming stores on Ave. of the Americas, but did not find anything I wanted. Finally, exhausted, I went to meet Renee and we had dinner in a Japanese restaurant.

Comments

[Mage Bailey]

Oh yes, oh yes, sometimes all my wonderful books hang around my neck like mill stones. I too would have glued myself to the Japanese quilting book...books are such a problem here.

I started reading you late in life, and I missed the why you moved from bountiful and art filled New York to your wonderful new city.

Stay warm.

[Karen]

There's a show that sounds interesting at the New-York Historical Society, on the Ashcan school. If you see it, I'd be interested in your thoughts.

Chicago is dull by comparison - I'm off to see the Darwin exhibit at the Field.

[Alice]

I really appreciate all your great links to art. Visiting your blog is almost like a visit to an art museum. Thanks, Ruthe!