Sunday in the Museum with J

Post by J

It makes me proud that all the Smithsonian museums are open 363 days a year and admission is always free. I know I'll be making multiple visits during my time in DC; the museums are so big and comprehensive I can only absorb about 2 hours' worth at a time.

On Sunday I took the Metro to the National Mall and walked the five blocks to the National Gallery of Art. Along the way, I enjoyed the crisp fall air, and under the looming edifice of the National Archives building, I stopped a moment to listen to an elderly black gentleman playing Amazing Grace on his trumpet.

I was too shy to take a photo of the trumpet player, but a squirrel posed for a portrait.

When I got the gallery, I checked my backpack and plotted my course through the West Building, Main Floor. I had come primarily to see the Andrew Wyeth exhibit, but there were many other works that captivated me along the way. Surprisingly, photos are allowed in the gallery, even with a flash.

Ginevra de' Benci, by Leonardo da Vinci

Green River Cliffs, Wyoming, by Thomas Moran

Still Life of Flowers, by Adelheid Dietrich

I loved the still life, even if it was painted by an artist who is completely new to me. Gorgeous. And of course the Moran is of my home state, so I love it by default.

I enjoyed the work of Monet, Manet, Pissarro, Cassatt, Cezanne, Rembrandt, Seurat, and countless other talented artists whose names I did not recognize. All for the price of making the effort to walk through the door. Amazing.

Although you can take photos at will throughout most of the gallery, you are not allowed to photograph the special exhibit. Thank goodness for the Internet, where you can find nearly anything.

Seed Corn, by Andrew Wyeth

Wyeth's art seems so austere. It's lonely and sad and evokes such a feeling of isolation. I admire it and think most of his work is beautiful (although perhaps his most famous work, Christina's World, has never been a favorite). I walked slowly through the multiple rooms of monotonal, simple renderings of everyday life. I thought of how the world can be so frenetic and glittery, and appreciated the small respite these paintings offered.

I made my way to the exit, stepped outside into the sunshine and took a deep breath of autumn air, for while I enjoy lonely and sad images, I also enjoy being out in the world. I bought a hot dog from a nearby street vendor and ate it sitting on the low wall outside the gallery, watching the people walking by.

And as I walked back to the metro, I took my own version of a still life:

Flowers with Bench, by J