A Visit to MFA

I saw some amazing pictures by a Boston-based photographer, Laura McPhee at an exhibition titled River of No Return at the MFA in Boston yesterday. Incidentally, McPhee also had a exhibition at the Bernard Toale Gallery in Boston from May 1 to July 1 this year. The pictures at the MFA exhibition were all taken during her two-year stay in Idaho, one of the remaining 12 states in the US that I have not visited. (Yes...38 and counting in my 14 years here. Not bad, huh?). I had figured that Idaho would be one of the 4 states that I would never mind not going to (the others are Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas) but after seeing the pictures, I want to go NOW. I should plan a trip to Idaho and Wyoming (am currently reading Anne Proux's short story collection, Close Range & had read a few stories from Bad Dirt last year - both of these books have stories based in Wyoming) sometime!

I didn't reaIize that the world is celebrating Rembrandt's 400th anniversary when I saw quite a few of his paintings yesterday - along with paintings from such masters as van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Picasso, Degas, Renoir, Jackson Pollock, and Mary Cassatt, (a special exhibition with many of her paintings in addition to some as part of the Americans in Paris special exhibition mentioned below) and many many other famous Dutch, American, French, Italian, painters and not-so-famous artists all the way from the 16th to the 20th century. The one famous painting that I was excited to see was Whistler's Mom, which was part of the Americans in Paris special exhibition ongoing at the MFA. Incidentally, I particularly liked Whistler's Symphony in White, No. 1: The White Girl much more than the more famous painting of his mother.

The MFA has an amazing collection of paintings, Greek/Roman/Egyptian archeological finds, Japanese and Chinese art, etc. In my opinion, it is well worth the 15$ entry fee, though I should admit I went there with a free pass I got via the company I work for. (The MFA website tells me that they have " approximately 1,600 European paintings and 21,000 works of sculpture and decorative art.")

Here is a brief preview to what can be seen at the museum through their website, though I may add my own thoughts and details on what I enjoyed seeing later..

Art of Asia, Oceania + Africa
Art of Europe
Art of the Americas
Art of the Ancient World
Contemporary Art
Musical Instruments
Prints, Drawings + Photographs
Textile + Fashion Arts

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