Museums

While in NYC, I spent two afternoons in museums. I spent one in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and one in the American Museum of History Natural. The art museum was by far the better of the two. I saw great works like the Death of Socrates and works by Titian, Rembrandt, and Picasso. The sculptures were fascinating. The attention to detail in, for example, the muscles of this foot were amazing (The foot was about a size 32. Shaq would be jealous).





There were art students everywhere. A few summers ago I read a book on Michelangelo that described his work on the Sistine chapel. As soon as Michelangelo finished the chapel, art students began arriving and, setting up their palates and copying his works. It is interesting that hundreds of years later, students continue to do the same. Here a student is copying a work by Titian.


Given his tremendous ego, it is likely that Titan foresaw that centuries later, a student would paint his works. It is less certain, that he foresaw the student would be wearing a Yankees' rugby shirt.


All in all, it was a remarkable time.


The American Museum of Natural History?

Not so much.

Most of the information is presented via the medium of the diorama. I don’t recall ever articulating the thought in this way before, but I’ve decided that my interest in dioramas peaked around the age of twelve and has rapidly fallen off.

Since 95% of the collection is explored through this manner, my stay in the museum was short. Two things I loved: a section on meteorites, including the largest meteorite currently in captivity, and a full scale model of a blue whale.

By far the best thing to come out of my visit to this museum occurred after I returned home. I took the kids to see A Night at the Museum and they were awestruck that I had visited that same place.

It really helped my street cred with them, and I need all the help I can get.