Must see pieces of art...
nk
My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
Florence, Venice & Rome.
I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
cities.
For example, must see's at Louvre in Paris would be the Venus & Mona Lisa.
One in Rome would be MichaelAngelo's Pieta.
Other suggestions in these cities? We are certainly willing to buy the
museum entry ticket even if it is just to see one or two pieces of art.
All suggestions are welcome.
Thanks
DocCec
>My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
>will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
>Florence, Venice & Rome.
>
>I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
>cities.
>
magnificent. If you are into art, Florence is Eden, Mecca and Utopia, all
rolled into one.
In Rome, in addition to the Pieta, you may want to see the Black St Peter in
the cathedral, and of course the Sistine Chapel.
In Amsterdam just go to theRembrandt museum and inhale.
Cec
Doug Hopper
>
>In Amsterdam just go to theRembrandt museum and inhale.
>
>Cec
I think Cec means the Rijksmuseum, which has many great Rembrandts including
The Night Watch. A stone's throw away is the Van Gogh museum, which is also
a must see.
Doug
J Sebold
>>My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
>>will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
>>Florence, Venice & Rome.
>>
>>I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
>>cities.
>If you are into art, Florence is Eden, Mecca and Utopia, all rolled into one.
If he was "into" art, he wouldn't be asking on the Internet what pieces of art
to see in Europe! Viewing a piece of art just because everyone says not to miss
it is a lousy reason to go to any museum. If one has to ask, one should skip it
and do something else.
Robert Buxbaum
In article <199803192352...@ladder03.news.aol.com>,
jse...@aol.com (J Sebold) wrote:
> >>My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
> >>will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
> >>Florence, Venice & Rome.
> >>
> >>I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
> >>cities.
> >>
> >>For example, must see's at Louvre in Paris would be the Venus & Mona Lisa.
>
> >If you are into art, Florence is Eden, Mecca and Utopia, all rolled into one.
>
> If he was "into" art, he wouldn't be asking on the Internet what pieces of art
> to see in Europe! Viewing a piece of art just because everyone says not
to miss
> it is a lousy reason to go to any museum. If one has to ask, one should
skip it
> and do something else.
Standing in line at the Uffizi in Florence, we overheard two American
tourists. One said to the other as they looked at the line, "I think I'll
just buy the book." When I was an intense student (and the dinosaurs
roamed the earth) it took me eight days to see everything important in
Florence. I could have done it in seven if I planned better. By the same
token if I were only to have two days in some fo those cities, I wouldn't
waste my precious time in a museum.
However, for starters, the Nike of Samothrace might be first choice at the
Louvre. Sorry, Winged Victroy of Samothrace, lest you get waylaid at a
sneaker store in the shopping mall.
Or maybe I just should have asked "Why?"
--
<http://www.bway.net/~bux/> food, wine and travel - France and NYC
Graham Callander
On 19 Mar 1998 23:52:59 GMT, jse...@aol.com (J Sebold) wrote:
>>>My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
>>>will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
>>>Florence, Venice & Rome.
>>>
>>>I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
>>>cities.
>
>>If you are into art, Florence is Eden, Mecca and Utopia, all rolled into one.
>If he was "into" art, he wouldn't be asking on the Internet what pieces of art
>to see in Europe! Viewing a piece of art just because everyone says not to miss
>it is a lousy reason to go to any museum. If one has to ask, one should skip it
>and do something else.
What an elitist response from an arrogant twit!
mark webber
nk,
If you would like to be sure to see very famous works, such as the Mona
Lisa and the Venus de Milo at the Louvre, you will also want to see the
Victory of Samothrace, also a Greek Hellenistic sculpture, and equally
"famous", (and also in the Louvre). May I point out though that on the
same wall as the Mona Lisa are several paintings by the tremendously
important painter Titian also known as Veccelli (and various similar
spellings). Titian was one of the most influencial painters of any period.
Around the corner and down the hall is "The Death of the Virgin" by
Caravaggio (whom I will mention again in a moment), probably the finest
painting by this genius in France.
In Florence, at the Galleria Dell'Accademia, you can see Michelangelo's
very well known "David" (the one in the Piazza della Signoria is a copy.)
Not too far away, in the Uffizi Museum (Galleria degli Uffizi), one of the
most important museums in the world, you can see Botticelli's "Birth of
Venus" and "Primavera", some Leonardo's, Titian's remarkable "Flora",
Caravaggio's "Young Bacchus", as well as many other masterpieces by
Tintoretto, Veronese, Rembrandt and many others.
Also in Florence is the Bargello Museum which houses Donatello's David,
the first large, free standing bronze of the Italian Renaissance, and a
very sensitive contrast to Michelangelos somewhat later interpretation.
Also in Florence is the Pitti palace, with its exceptional Titians and
Raphaels, and countless frescos in churches. I will point out, however,
that museum lines in Florence are among the longest I've seen - if you
don't have much time, choose one museum and be prepared to wait in line an
hour or more.
In Venice, at the Accademia, you can see see Giorgione's "The Tempest", a
rare non-religious painting from the Italian Renaissance. Giorgione was
one of Titian's teachers. In the Scuola San Marco, you can see
Tintoretto's great cycle of Frescos.
Rome has, of course, the Vatican Museum, with Michelangelo's Sistene
Chapel, and a pair of great paintings, one by Poussin, the other by
Caravaggio, facing each other in an octagonal gallery. I'm sorry to say
that, at the moment, the titles escape me, but both depict the martyrdom
of saints.
However, Rome also has the recently reopened and restored Galleria
Borghese, which features the great sculpture by the Baroque master Bernini
entitled "Apollo and Daphne" as well as his interpretation of "David", and
a great Caravaggio or two.
There is a great deal to see in Rome, (as in Paris and elsewhere) but I
would recommend, after your cappucino in the Piazza Navona, walking around
the corner to a church called St. Luigi dei Francesi, to see three more
Caravaggios (!) on the life of St. Matthew which are in excellent
condition and demonstrate beautifully this master's skill at realism and
composition.
In Amsterdamm, don't miss, at the Rijksmuseum, the many Rembrandts and
Vermeer's "The Cook"
I hope I haven't gone on too long, but as you may guess, I feel this is
far too abreviated a list.
Have a great time!
Mark
On Thu, 19 Mar 1998, nk wrote:
> My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
> will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
> Florence, Venice & Rome.
>
> I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
> cities.
>
> For example, must see's at Louvre in Paris would be the Venus & Mona Lisa.
>
mark webber
On 19 Mar 1998, J Sebold wrote:
> >>My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
> >>will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
> >>Florence, Venice & Rome.
> >>
> >>I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
> >>cities.
>
> >If you are into art, Florence is Eden, Mecca and Utopia, all rolled into one.
>
> If he was "into" art, he wouldn't be asking on the Internet what pieces of art
> to see in Europe! Viewing a piece of art just because everyone says not to miss
> it is a lousy reason to go to any museum. If one has to ask, one should skip it
> and do something else.
>
>
Everyone has to start somewhere.
Mark
Phil King
In article <6es9s3$8gp$1...@svr-c-02.core.theplanet.net>,
I think Cec means just go to a coffeeshop and inhale....
/Phil
k
>Doug
>
>
Alan L. Isaacson
In <Pine.PMDF.3.95.9803201...@TIGER.UOFS.EDU> mark
Right on, but the question is: where does one start? IMHO one starts
by studying the subject through an art history course, then when one
sees the original one understand what one is looking at.
Bonne route.
nk
Thanks so much. This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for.
Larry Preuss
In article <6eu8v5$g...@dfw-ixnews10.ix.netcom.com>,
amy...@ix.netcom.com(Alan L. Isaacson) wrote:
The attitude that if you don't know you shouldn't ask is condescending,
exclusionist and elitist to the highest degree, and it is entirely possible
that our friend will not have access to an art history course before he
leaves for Europe. Thomas Hoving's book, _Greatest Works of Art of Western
Civilization_ would be a work to flip through at his local Borders Books.
True, you must start somewhere.
Lp
--
Philip & Karen Selwyn
nk wrote:
>
> Thanks so much. This is exactly the kind of info I was looking for.
Let me throw out another suggestion. In addition to seeing isolated
pictures at a lot of museums, head for a smaller museum which focuses on
a narrower range of art -- perhaps the art of a single person. My top
choice for this would be the Rodin Museum in Paris. I think you'll
really get a lot out of immersing yourself in a single artist. Rodin, in
particular, is very accessible to people without a tremendous amount of
art background.
Other options include the Picasso museum in Paris, but the works there
are notable more for the breadth of the collection (at least one from
every period in this prolific and varied artist's career) than for the
excellence of the works displayed. The same applies to the works of art
in the Van Gogh museum, with one significant difference: there is an
excellent narrated audio tour in the Van Gogh museum. I've forgotten
when you're traveling, but the Van Gogh museum will be closed beginning
in September for renovation. (If you live near Washington DC or LA,
you'll be able to see the entire collection when it comes to the
National Gallery or LACMA)
Absolutely definitely rent the audio tour at the Rijksmuseum. They have
narration for hundreds of their works of art, but they also have an "art
on the fly" tour which will appeal to you. They list the 15 top works
currently on display and provide a map as to where they're located
within the museum. Here's an odd bit of information, go on a sunny
day. I believe the only lighting in the top floor galleries where the
Rembrandts etc. are located is through indirect lighting from windows.
Karen Selwyn
SaxonCow
>From: ap...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (John Gillies)
>The poster was merely expressing the highly valid view that many people
>hop into galleries or museums to see 'a piece', a famous object that everyone
>tells them is important to see. Then they can go home and brag to their
>friends that they have seen a big expensive famous object. Much like the
>millions who go to see 'the Titanic' because the marketing machine has told
>them it is an expensive production which must be seen. What has been gained
>from all this?
>
How about that they enjoyed themselves? You don't mind, do you?
mark webber
I wouldn't argue with that, but I teach art history, and wish students
could have a list of things to see in person before they start the course
(I know this is dreaming, but hear me out), then we discuss it with
slides, then they go back and see it. Again and again. Appreciating
art is a long process, like anything else worthwhile, and personally, when
I hear someone ask "what should I see?" I'll give 'em a list. It's a
start.
I can't believe some folks will say "In Florence the lines are too long -
do something else." Like what? Eat ice cream? Outside of the Ufizzi?
Mark
D & B Mawdsley
======================================================================
"Mona Winks" by Rick Steves and Gene Upshaw is a good place to start.
It is brief, irreverant but highly informative.
Barbara in Connecticut
tyson
nk wrote:
>
> My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
> will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
> Florence, Venice & Rome.
>
> I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
> cities.
>
>
> One in Rome would be MichaelAngelo's Pieta.
>
> Other suggestions in these cities? We are certainly willing to buy the
> museum entry ticket even if it is just to see one or two pieces of art.
>
> All suggestions are welcome.
> Thanks
Winks". It has short, basic 1-3 hour self-guided tours of most of
Europes most famous museums. The book is just an introduction to the
museums and by no means comprehensive; its for the average person who
wants to see the "the best" or what is special in that museum, but
doesnt want to spend 6 hours every day. Its in larger book stores or on
the internet at Amazon.com.
In Paris we plan to buy a 3 day Museum Card pass for 140F. I figure it
will pay for itself if we go to the Louvre, Orsay and Versailles. Also,
there are many smaller , less well known museums I might not go to if I
had to spend another $8-9 every time. With the pass, you go in and
spend just an our or so and not feel guilty!
In addition, I understand the pass gets you into the museums quicker.
Akia
J Sebold wrote:
>
> >>My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
> >>will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
> >>Florence, Venice & Rome.
> to see in Europe!
Hi,
I think it's perfectly reasonable.
his time is LIMITED.
2 days in Paris to spend doing art...I couldn't even begin to limit it
to 2 days.
the Louvre is at least a week project just to get a good feel plus the
Musee d'Orsay, etc...and if you include cathedrals like St. Denis
(many/most of the tombs of the kings of france are there, incredible
sculpture)...
the Rijksmuseum is a day, the Stedilijk and Van Gogh another day...and
-I- really like Rembranthuis...his former residence and a really really
nice collection of etchings.
Rome...Florence...Venice...all have easy multi-day collections
I hear people say "I really want to see the Mona Lisa" when I mention
the Louvre...but really it's not that spectacular and the crowd around
it is oppressive.
J.Prescott
What are you suggesting they inhale? Do they now have green leaves on
the Rijksmuseum door?
--
J.Prescott 10171...@compuserve.com
03/22/98 09:31
---------
Using: OUI PRO 1.5.0.2 from http://www.dvorak.com
Hamilton
> SaxonCow wrote:
> >
> > >From: ap...@FreeNet.Carleton.CA (John Gillies)
> > >The poster was merely expressing the highly valid view that many people
> > >hop into galleries or museums to see 'a piece', a famous object that
everyone
> > >tells them is important to see. Then they can go home and brag to their
> > >friends that they have seen a big expensive famous object. Much like the
> > >millions who go to see 'the Titanic' because the marketing machine has told
> > >them it is an expensive production which must be seen. What has been gained
> > >from all this?
> > >
> >
> > How about that they enjoyed themselves? You don't mind, do you?
>
It makes far more sense to spend an hour or two with a handfull of
great objects of art than to mindlessly waddle down row after row
of paintings 'covering' them all. I have raised children, now adults,
who adore art museums on this principle. The 'see it all, it's good
for you' approach turns off most sensible and sensitive people to
good art.
Regarding the movies:
many 'expensive productions which must be seen' have flopped at
the box office. Remember Titanic was predicted to be a flop -- like
the also expensive Waterworld -- it became a success to the surprise
of the experts because people liked it and it had good word of
mouth. It may not be your choice of a great movie -- I found it
dazzling in its boat effects, but very mediocre in its script -- but
its success comes from the fact that people enjoy it.
Contempt for the taste of others doesn't demonstrate good taste
just arrogance.
Barry Ward
> > My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
> > will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
> > Florence, Venice & Rome.
> >
> > I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
> > cities.
Nobody seems to have mentioned the Museum D'Orsay in Paris. It is just big
enough without being "daunting" like the Louvre.
I have always liked Van Gogh paintings but until I went to the D'Orsay I
had really only seen them in art books and cheap prints. When you see them
for real, they are most fantastic . The colours are far more impressive
than when you see them in a book.
Barry
--
My Website at http://www.powerup.com.au/~baz
is all about the area in which I live - From Brisbane
to the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
Come and visit
cjm
"nk" <n...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
>will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
>Florence, Venice & Rome.
>I am looking for suggestions on must-see pieces of art works in these
>cities.
>For example, must see's at Louvre in Paris would be the Venus & Mona Lisa.
>One in Rome would be MichaelAngelo's Pieta.
>Other suggestions in these cities? We are certainly willing to buy the
>museum entry ticket even if it is just to see one or two pieces of art.
>All suggestions are welcome.
>Thanks
AMSTERDAM : Van Gough Museum
PARIS : The Musee Picasso, Musee Rodin
VENICE: Check out the current exhibition at the Palazzo Grazzi.
Colleen
Tony Karp
"Barry Ward" <b...@powerup.com.au> wrote:
>Nobody seems to have mentioned the Museum D'Orsay in Paris. It is just big
>enough without being "daunting" like the Louvre.
>
>I have always liked Van Gogh paintings but until I went to the D'Orsay I
>had really only seen them in art books and cheap prints. When you see them
>for real, they are most fantastic . The colours are far more impressive
>than when you see them in a book.
Second that.
We spent a morning at the Louvre and two days at the Musee D'Orsay.
This is one of the newer museums, converted from a railroad station. An
incredible place.
It has a lot of stuff that used to be squirreled away at the Louvre. Look for
the reconstructed canvas done by Lautrec for La Goulue when she performed at a
fairground after leaving the Moulin Rouge.
Probably one of the best collections of Impressionist art in the world.
Also a fascinating exhibit on how sculptures are made, and lots of other nifty
stuff.
If you only have time to see one museum in Paris...
Remember to bring your French/English dictionary and you'll get a lot more out
of your visit.
Tony Karp, TLC Systems Corp tk...@tlc-systems.com
tk...@interport.net
Visit our web sites:
Techno-Impressionist Museum: http://www.techno-impressionist.com
TLC Systems: http://www.tlc-systems.com
Web-Scope (tm) statistics: http://www.web-scope.com
RB
There is a Manet-Monet exhibition in May.
Hamilton
In article <35173951...@mediasoft.net>, RB
<dlr.pub.g...@mediasoft.net> wrote:
> There is a Manet-Monet exhibition in May.
>
> Tony Karp wrote:
> >
> > "Barry Ward" <b...@powerup.com.au> wrote:
> >
> > >Nobody seems to have mentioned the Museum D'Orsay in Paris. It is just big
> > >enough without being "daunting" like the Louvre.
> > >
> > >I have always liked Van Gogh paintings but until I went to the D'Orsay I
> > >had really only seen them in art books and cheap prints. When you see them
> > >for real, they are most fantastic . The colours are far more impressive
> > >than when you see them in a book.
Oddly there are fewer impressionist paintings there than in many
other museums in the world -- they are first rate however.
The D'Orsay also is home to some of the worst art in the world.
This makes it an interesting stop in and of itself. [get a load
of the big eyed girl with sheep if you doubt me]
k
mark webber
I really have to agree with this last remark. There is an awful lot of
awful salon painting in the D'Orsay, and, although I love Monet and Renoir
I personally don't crave impressionism that much anymore. There are fine
Courbet's in the D'Orsay, and plenty of other great works, and I feel it
is a "must-see" museum, but the crowds sort of push me towards places like
the Orangerie, which has two of the most memeorable rooms of Monets in the
world, one of the only rooms of Derain ( a very great master of the 20th
century who rejected modernism) and beautiful rooms of Cezanne, Renoir,
Soutine and Picasso.
As for world class masterpieces, of the sort that initiated this thread,
there certainly aren't any more in the D'Orsay than in the Orangerie (just
across the river, by the way) or the Beauborg (now closed for
renovations) or the Picasso or Rodin museums.
Only the Louvre can make that claim, I feel.
Mark
Pete and Marty Riley
In article <351341...@fake.com>, ak...@fake.com wrote:
> J Sebold wrote:
> >
> > >>My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
> > >>will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
> > >>Florence, Venice & Rome.
>
You might try checking out a copy of Rick Steeve's guide to museums called
Mona Winks, a rather unusual book which provides a concise, guided
commentary on what Mr. Steves regards as the most important works as he
directs the reader on a limited, say 90 minute tour
through such galleries as the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh
Museum, Ufizzi, Bargello, and Venetian and Roman art. Granted, this is
not the ideal way to "do" art, but at least the viewer is using his
limited time productively and given interesting, accessible (as opposed to
super technical) information about each masterwork profiled.
Marty Riley
--
Pete and Marty Riley * Life is not worth it unless
New Oxford PA - USA * your are doing something good
pri...@sun-link.com * for someone else. ;-)
(remove *** before sending non spam messages)
Hamilton
In article <priley-2503...@ppp090-hnvrpa.netrax.net>,
pri...@sun-link.com (Pete and Marty Riley) wrote:
> In article <351341...@fake.com>, ak...@fake.com wrote:
>
> > J Sebold wrote:
> > >
> > > >>My wife and I will be on a whirl-wind tour of Europe for 2 weeks and
> > > >>will be making brief (1 to 2 days each) stops in Paris, Amsterdam,
> > > >>Florence, Venice & Rome.
> >
>
> You might try checking out a copy of Rick Steeve's guide to museums called
> Mona Winks, a rather unusual book which provides a concise, guided
> commentary on what Mr. Steves regards as the most important works as he
> directs the reader on a limited, say 90 minute tour
> through such galleries as the Louvre, Musee D'Orsay, Rijksmuseum, Van Gogh
> Museum, Ufizzi, Bargello, and Venetian and Roman art. Granted, this is
> not the ideal way to "do" art, but at least the viewer is using his
> limited time productively and given interesting, accessible (as opposed to
> super technical) information about each masterwork profiled.
>
> Marty Riley
Actually it may be exactly the ideal way to 'do art' especially for
the untutored. Steve's book makes it accessible for beginners -- and
less is definately more if you are not already heavily steeped in art.
We usually spend about 6 hours at the Uffizi -- but many tours
allow an hour and a half -- better to spend that hour and a half
with a handful of pieces of art than trying to march past it all.
A person who would ask for advice on what is a 'must see' is precisely
the person who should take art in small doses -- rather than
as a vitamin that is 'good for you'. They will probably come away
with more appreciation and more pleasure that way.
k