What a treat to view Cindy Sherman’s genius in this MoMA retrospective. The 170 images cohesively highlight her career-long vision of reflecting society’s narrow ideas of identity at the viewer. Sherman’s lens exposes society’s perceptions and depictions in startling, poignant ways. For 35 years, Sherman has played the role of model, stylist and director to […]
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Edith Wharton’s New York
In honor of the 150th anniversary of Edith Wharton’s birth, the New York Society Library curated a small, pleasing exhibit,“Edith Wharton’s New York City: A Backward Glance.” I’m always interested in learning all I can about favorite authors. I guess I’m a bit obsessed with the stories behind the great stories. Or is it that […]
Haags Historisch Museum
In a city full of striking museums, this one was the least compelling. The ground floor gives an overview of the city’s history through paintings and a projected time-lapse drawing, which was interesting, but the upstairs is markedly less intriguing, with a collection of portraits and historical household odds and ends. The museum is in […]
Panorama Mesdag, Den Haag
Stepping into this amazing exhibit is like getting into a time capsule and emerging on a 19th century beach. A 19th century Dutch beach, that is. The panorama is a large-scale naturalistic depiction of the sea, the dunes and the seaside resort town of Scheveningen in 1881, as envisioned by Hendrik Mesdag, a Dutch banker-turned-artist. […]
Mauritshuis, Den Haag
If I were a dead Dutch artist, I would want my masterpiece displayed in Mauritshuis. The small galleries with tall windows, high ceilings and thoughtfully painted walls is an ideal environment in which to spend some time. Mauritshuis is an intimate yet comprehensive museum located in a 17th century mansion on Hofvijver, the city’s main […]
Rubenshuis, Antwerp
Rubenshuis is, as you can imagine, the house and studio that Pieter Paul Rubens and his family inhabited. Rubens bought the property in 1610, upon returning from an eight-year stint in Italy, and spent the next eleven years turning it into a stunning Italian palazzo. Then came the fun part: decorating! The enormous house was […]
Museum Plantin-Moretus, Antwerp
Museum Plantin-Moretus was my favorite museum-house in Antwerp. It was one of those places that sounded so-so, but ended up knocking my socks off. I really should say “our socks” since my husband also really loved it. So what makes it so great? The museum takes you through 300 years of printing activity. As in, […]
Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp
This museum houses Fritz Mayer van den Bergh’s extensive and eclectic art collection. Who was Mayer van den Bergh? He was an avid art collector who lived with his mother until he died unexpectantly at age 43. After his death in the early 1900’s, his mother built this museum next door to their residence. If […]
Museum Rockoxhuis, Antwerp
I have a love-hate relationship with museum-houses. On the positive side, they are stunningly elaborate, masterpiece-filled, lovingly preserved time machines that evoke the days of yore. On the negative side, their grandeur, opulence and contained artwork provoke a crippling case of real estate envy. Luckily/unluckily for me, Antwerp is chock-full of museum-houses. Museum Rockoxhuis is […]
Musée Magritte
Since Magritte is one of Belgium’s most beloved artists, it is only fitting that an entire wing of the Musée Royaux des Beaux-Arts should be dedicated to his work. Since it opened in 2009, the Musée Magritte houses the largest collection of the surrealist’s paintings and drawings. It’s fascinating to walk through Magritte’s career and […]
