In another life, I would have a degree in Art History and be surrounded by beauty on the daily. (I still have hopes for a degree someday when I am at home for more than five minutes.)
Art in the UK and beyond is the stuff of my dreams. There were some surprises, some favorites, and a few new pieces to add to my own home walls.
I will admit I did hit a point when I couldn't look at one more picture of an old Royal. I never got tired of looking at the architecture of the castles, my favorite kinds of paintings, and churches.
The Strange
The Handel & Hendrix House is one of the more interesting museums I have been to. The composer resided there for 36 years; he wrote THE MESSIAH while living there, nbd. Hendrix lived in the house the final year of his life.
Museums in homes are always odd, and that is why I love them. You can picture Handel composing...and then making a sandwich. Hendrix is strumming his guitar...then looking out the window onto a busy London street. Spencer says that someday when my book is successful, they can do a museum in Havre, Montana. That...is super funny.
Big props to the 'Can you Handel It?' merchandise, because man I love a good pun.
The Familiar
We went to Brussels for one magical day. We were there for about five minutes when my sweet husband stated, "We are going to move here." Sounds good to me. René Magritte is world famous, and the Belgian artist has his own beautiful museum in the European capital. Housed in part of the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, the collection is extensive. In a funny twist of fate, the featured exhibit was Magritte and Dali.
Many of the paintings were on loan from the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, a place I have been to more times than I can count. So, I saw some old favorites in a completely new venue, which was crazy cool.
The Surprise
Every art history book contains certain paintings and sculptures. One of the classics is the Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck. It bursts with symbolism and the detail is master level status. We rounded the corner at The National Gallery in London and noticed a crowd. The crowd shifted and I audibly gasped. I had no idea that this famous painting was in this particular building! A million facts and all of the appreciation rushed back to me. What a glorious day.
The Best
The period of art up to, through, and surrounding Impressionism is my jam. Spencer also loves this era, so we again are peas in a pod. After taking a semester-long van Gogh class, I am always on the hunt for that guy.
We found famous paintings, old favorites, and works I had never heard of at The Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh and The National Gallery in London.
This is just the tip of the iceberg; we took over a thousand pictures at countless museums.
Do you have a favorite art era? What is the best museum you have ever been to?
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