Moments

So I went to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts the other day. Some of you may not know this about me (and may be surprised) but I love art museums. I don’t presume to really know anything about art, like composition or lines or emotions evoked by brush strokes or any of that crap. All I can tell you is whether I like something or not. And I can’t always explain why either. There’s just something about art that I find very romantic and peaceful, even when it intends to be the opposite. When I lived in London, I spent a lot of time at the Victoria & Albert museum (in part because it was free and right around the corner from where I lived). I loved sitting there for hours just soaking it all in. It’s beautiful and sad at the same time to think of all these painters and sculptors who never knew what legends they would become. It would have been such a trip for them, I bet, seeing critics over analyzing every inch of their art, speculating on why, when and where they did it and probably laughing because those stupid critics were so way off. Or maybe not.

Anyway, I spent four hours at the MFA and I don’t think I saw two-thirds of the place. It was great. I got that audio tour thing which I think is so great because you can hear the “stupid critics’” opinions. I find it all very fascinating at the time, but interestingly I never retain much of the information I learn. They had this really cool Egyptian exhibit and some great pieces from way back in the Greek days. I was really digging the Egyptian stuff. They had some mummies and tombs and sarcophagi. It is so interesting to learn what they believed in and their kooky traditions. Apparently, they would take out a person’s organs and gunky stuff to help preserve the body before they buried it. They had four containers shaped like little gods where they put the most important ones (like the lungs and intestines) and buried the statues with the bodies. Apparently, they didn’t think the brain was very important, something to do with controlling body temperature. But they had to get it out to dry out the skull so they thrust metal hooks in through the nostrils repeatedly to mash up the brain until it just flowed out the nose. Pretty gross.
I also saw some Monets and that famous Ballerina sculpture. And a bunch of Colonial art. But my favorite was this one painting by Renoir. I had never seen it before and as soon as I did, I smiled. Again, I can’t really tell you why. I think it was because it was a simple happy moment, frozen in time. I always wish I could do that in my life. Maybe that’s why I like to take pictures so much. So I can always remember how happy I’d been, in case I’m not one day. Anyway, the painting is called “Dance at Bougival”. I just love how you don’t know if these two people are lovers or if they just met or if they’ll ever see each other again. Life is all about these moments I think.

So it was a good experience. Too bad it cost me $23! 