Little Girl in Blue

He sent her to buy some cheep wine. She brought him some cider. He got mad at her. The little girl started to cry. He said : "Okay, then you have to pose for me. Go stand in the corner."

True story or legend?

The size of this work is quite big - 116x73 cm. Usually Modigliani used this format for adult models. That means that the little girl was painted almost life size. The painting was completed in 1918 and was the first exhibited in Prague in 1923. It is in a private collection right now.

It is really difficult for me to picture this masterpiece in someones living room. Do the people who own the Little Girl in Blue say "Good morning" to her? I would.  

Dear all - I'm going to take a break from the blog for about a week. I hope you all have a great time. See you soon; I will bring you exciting new photos!

Easter eggs, Murakami, and other adventures

                                    
Thank you all for your wonderful responses to my Easter post. It warmed my heart to receive so many holiday greetings.

Now, I’ll tell you a couple of stories, all of which happened in a row.

Happy Easter!

I would like to wish a Happy Easter to all who celebrate it! It is still very cold in our city, so, all the photos you see are from previous years.

It's been a very busy week, because getting ready for Eater entails spring cleaning. At least everything is clean and sparkly now. The only things left are a few minor chores - buying flowers, cake, and get ready to celebrate!

I hope it's going to be a great long weekend for everyone!

"One can swim in chocolate or in blue sky" - Pierre Bonnard

May I present some highlights from the two New York museums I have explored - the MoMA and the Metropolitan.

I just remembered a story that happened to me when I was working in the Art Gallery of Ontario. There was a conference of directors from galleries all over North America and England. Somehow, I ended up as the only staff member who was supervising the installation of the exhibition for the conference, as well as the event. To watch the installation was truly fascinating. I saw drawings by Constable laid out before me; I saw ritual African masks of the 19th century; I saw a curator in white gloves taking out a little ivory skeleton, placing it on the pedestal, and inserting a tiny scythe into its hand. Then they decided to be charitable and let a group of security staff in to have a look around. It was quite a funny moment, because the security guards were gasping audibly all over the exhibit. Every moment, you could hear a new gasp from some corner of the room. Then the doors opened, and a whole swarm of bee-like directors got in, and started to buzz around the flowers, that is, the artworks.

What I'm trying to say is, when I visited the New York galleries, I was simultaneously like the security guards and like the directors. I was gasping and buzzing.

New York Architecture

Who greets us first when we enter an unfamiliar city? Her highness, architecture. She is the one who creates that prized first impression (which is difficult to shake, even if it proves to be generally incorrect). You might arrive with a couple of stereotypes already in place, based on the things you’ve learned about a well-known city. What are some of the things you would expect from New York? Skyscrapers have got to be one of them. They’re all quite different; some are intricate; others are minimalistic. We have found time to go up the Rockefeller Center.

If I had to give a brief characterization of the New York architecture, I would say that it’s a vertical city. There aren’t so many curves or bends, and everything directs your gaze upwards. If you walk around the streets, it is difficult to get lost. With the exception of Broadway, everything seems to be sketched with a strong hand. Meanwhile, Broadway just seems to be wandering as it feels.

MoMA Art Communication

I don’t believe that you can really fall in love with an artist’s work before you see it within an arm’s reach. You might genuinely like an image, but you won’t get the real essence of what this piece of art is about until you find yourself standing in front of it, absorbing the whole spectrum of emotion. I can’t come up with a reasonable explanation for this process – and decide whether it’s your subconscious at work, bringing your dreams and fantasies to life; whether it is you absorbing the painting, or the painting absorbing you.

MoMA Impressions

It was a pure coincidence that my blogger friend and I visited New York at the same time. Now I read her posts with great pleasure, enjoying her descriptive style and her sense of humour. I especially love to read her experiences that parallel mine in uncanny ways. Check out Zazie's blog, and be sure to read her impressions of New York.

The thing I enjoyed about the MoMA is how lively it is. I’ve been to so many museums with a dead atmosphere, so I can always sense the difference. A “dead” museum is not necessarily empty. It may indeed be full of visitors – people brought by tour guides, and then other people who consider that this museum simply must be visited. In these museums, you will not find a foyer full of people exhausted from an afternoon of communing with art, with tired yet satisfied faces, struggling to find the energy simply to leave this art-filled place. These people have spent hours in a lively museum, and haven’t even seen half of the galleries. They’re so overwhelmed that they can’t figure out whether they want to eat, drink, breathe, or simply die blissfully of emotional overload.

The Central Park and Around

One of the most interesting destinations in New York is, of course, the Central Park. It's a place that's known for its unique charisma. If you've never seen a kids' movie called A Simple Wish, you should borrow it to see where my magical impression of the Central Park came from.

01/04/2011

Spring is coming© epsilon delta


Thanks for all your lovely comments, it made me smile all day long :)

Have a happy weekend!