Get Inspired

Over the Easter weekend we were in NYC visiting my BFF (for whom I had made the succulent planter). Finally, we got a chance to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art! Strangely, in all the 10 years that we lived in Central Jersey we would always talk about going to the Met but never did. It was the afternoon, my daughter was getting cranky (the son was all excited in contrast), and my feet were hurting from wearing high heeled boots (ya, in NYC against my own better judgment ignoring B’s and my friend’s warnings)! So we had to skim through the stuff, stopping only for the things that called out to us the most. If you are the type that like to read each and everything (like me) it could take you an entire day to see the whole museum.

After crossing off the ‘Egyptian Art’ and ‘Arms and Armor’ sections, which were on my son’s must see list, we managed to get a glimpse of the ‘European Sculpture and Decorative Arts’ wing. Most of the furniture in there was purely traditional and ornate, still there were some that I could relate to, like this Italian settee.

It was made in the late 18th century out of painted and gilded walnut, reverse painted glass and upholstered with silk velvet.

You could easily see this gold and gilded English chair (late 18th century) made out of beech in a high end store today of course with a different finish and upholstery.

Moving onto paintings all the usual suspects were there, Monet, Van Gogh, Dali, Picasso, Cezzanne, Rembrandt….you name it. I’m listing a few that I thought were fun and colorful in spirit and not in their artistic merit or skill level (I’m no expert at judging that). The ‘At the Lapin Agile’ by Picasso captured my imagination with that colorful argyle sweater.

Can you make out that ‘The Studio’ by Braque is a painting of a vase in front of a window?

In the ‘Notre-Dame-de-la-Garde’ Signac arranges rectangular brush strokes like a mosaic.

Another one by Signac, Lighthouse on Groix, same technique. This is the first time I am seeing this kind of work and I’m sold. Want to try it in some form or the other.

 

This painting, ‘Fishing Boats’, by Derain is so vibrant that you could translate it easily when picking out accessories in the same color scheme.

Something that was very different from the others was this oil and charcoal on canvas ‘Potrait of Ria Munk III’ by Klimt.

Dali’s Madonna………….I’m speechless!

Last, the piece that I wanted to bring home and is so in line with the today’s decor style, the stainless steel mirror by Anish Kapoor.

As you can see, this is just the tip of the iceberg. I definitely have to go back for more. What have you been inspired by lately?