I Made It!

Well folks, I finally made it to the Worcester Art Museum today. It only took me all weekend, in which I didn't do much of anything, but the important thing is I went! :)
It was a great trip. I went by myself which was actually a very enjoyable experience. Normally I like to go to museums with other people to discuss the art, but today I got to take everything in with quiet reflection. One thing I appreciated about the museum's set up is that they have fairly detailed note cards for almost all of their pieces, and a placard on the wall at the beginning of each room and genre to describe where the art had originated.
When you enter the museum from the Salisbury Street side, there is one of many beautifully preserved mosaics on the floor. These mosaics come from an excavation in Antioch in the 1930s. Some are on the floor and others hang on the walls throughout the museum.
The first floor consists of Asian, Egyptian, Roman, and Medieval artwork and artifacts. The Asian section is usually one of my favorites and this was no exception. I love the painted folding dividers, and if I ever have a house big enough I would love to have one of those dividers as decoration. The landscapes are often very detailed and breathtaking, but the one I enjoyed the most was of a dragon's head. The swift wavy brushstrokes made it a very fluid picture, and the lighting contrast made it look as if it was coming out of the painting. Very cool.
There is also a recreation of a 12th century chapel house which is very impressive, seeing as they had to piece it together. It's fairly dark and ominously quiet, but the stone architecture brings you back to a time of small monasteries where men gathered to discuss how to serve the community in their religious endeavors.
The second floor has European and Contemporary art. I only remember a lot of religious depictions from this floor, some of which is very beautiful, but others are more simplistic and rather boring to me. I can only look at so many images of the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus before the effect starts to wear off- same with the saints and apostles.
The third floor houses American artwork, most of which is done by local artists. There's an early painting of Worcester, possibly the earliest known painting of the city, which is very expansive and beautiful. It's amazing to see any city or town that was mostly hills and pastures in its original form, before civilization took over and molded it into a modern-day society.
I also enjoyed several individual pieces on this floor. One was called, "Portrait of My Daughters" by Frank W. Benson, done in 1907. In it he paints his three daughters sitting outside enjoying a lovely summer day. It reminded me of my two sisters, and how we're able to visit with each other more frequently since we live in the same area. But the painting also has a slight nostalgic feel to it as well, since two of the three sisters are older (which is also similar to my sisters, who are 7 and 8 years older than I am). The painter, who paints this as the father, almost seems sad to see his children growing older, shown by the eldest who is lost in her own thoughts. She faces away from the viewer and is looking down, not at her sisters, while the other two have their attention focused on a basket of flowers. It's as if these moments, though enjoyable with his daughters, are becoming few and far between as they get older.
Another painting I thought was beautiful was one of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his daughter, Edith, by George Peter Alexander Healy. According to museum notes, the painting was done after the death of Longfellow's wife, and his expression is one of longing and quiet despair. To contrast that, Edith, in a very pretty dress, holds her father and looks into his eyes as if to say, "We will now have to enjoy the remaining time we have together." It was very moving for such a simple pose.
All in all it was a a very interesting visit to end my long weekend, and I did plenty of walking to fulfill my exercise regimen. :)