I’ve been writing almost every weekend. The Brooklyn Museum was on my list of places to see. However, last Sunday, there was the added bonus of the Brooklyn Symphony performing. And so I decided to get up early(gahhhh) go for mass and head off to the museum. It’s a twenty minute walk for me anyway skirting the perimeter of Prospect Park.
The museum opens at 11. Yup. Not ten. So I was forty minutes early. And I managed to read a book. I was reading, “The Joy of Less.” And before I knew it we were ushered inside. At present, the Pierre Cardin exhibition is on display. I’m not all into fashion.
The main works that I wanted to focus on was paintings and Egyptian art. There is no entrance fee. You can make a donation unless you’re here for an assigned exhibition in which case you have to pay 16$. Overall, the place isn’t as crowded and so you can take your time to read the descriptions and study each piece of work.
Woodcut, etching and more
I guess the Museum is trying to generate interest in the art of woodcutting, etching and some of the older styles of art. There’s an entire room dedicated to teaching how they’re done. On the first floor, the exhibits are mostly black and white. I had no idea that many of these paintings were etched or woodcut. After I saw the videos, I backtracked through some of the work. Why? Because these techniques are four steps long. I cannot believe the artistic vision it requires to create these images though them. It would take a truly gifted eye to do them. Yet, many acclaimed artists including (my favorite) Corot used them.
There are a number of early etchings from famous artists like Picasso on display to demonstrate the techniques.
Sculptures
There are a few Sculptures here including Giovanni della Robbia’s relief depicting the Resurrection of Jesus. There’s a bench in front of this sculpture. And you’ll see why. Every piece of the sculpture represents something. Even the three shadowy figures representing the three Mary’s, Mary Magdalene, Mary Salome, and Mary the mother.
European Art
While not as extensive at the Collection at MoMa, there are a few noteworthy paintings here, Degas, Renoir, Monet, Manet and Picasso. What’s surprising, is the influence of religion on art. There are so many pieces of work based on the Madonna and the child Jesus. Every artistic perspective is different.
In addition, there were a few Monets’ here. And bar one, I don’t get the appeal for them. Neither do I get Picasso. The only ones I liked were the Islets at Port Villez and the Houses of Parliament. I guess it’s because when I was taught art in convent school, light was the first thing taught to us. If nothing else, light is the only thing I understand about art. So most paintings where the play of light is expressed tends to appeal to me. And then there’s abstract art. I just don’t get it.
Forces of Nature
There is a beautiful series of paintings based on the power of nature. I guess these are some of the most beautiful oils on canvas, all donated to the Museum. These paintings are huge. I had to stand nearly 15 feet away to get a picture. What’s astonishing, is that in European art, there are a number of Puerto Rican paintings. I’m not sure why, but they’re here.
Brooklyn Bridge
I remember mentioning to someone about Emily Roebling and how she supervised the finishing of the Brooklyn Bridge when her husband Washington was sick. She was the first to cross the bridge in 1883. Charles Duran paints their portraits with the Brooklyn Bridge in the backdrop for Washington.
Egyptian Art at the Brooklyn Museum
I believe the Brooklyn Museum has one of the largest collections of Egyptian Art this side of the coast. Some of the reliefs, shabty’s and papyrus are from and studied by Charles Wilbour, an American Egyptologist.
I’m honestly quite humbled. Some of these things date back to 2500 BC. Our lives are just like wisps of smoke in comparison. The ceramics, utensils and stones have survived so long. They’ve seen the world turn and change. It’s so sobering to watch these pieces and feel a bit misplaced in the grander scheme of things.
The hall is divided into prehistoric and early dynastic periods, mid and then the later dynastic periods. You can see how Egyptian life culture has changed and been influenced by its different rulers. The older civilization though seems as advanced as the Incas and Greeks. It truly is remarkable what a great civilization this once was.
Mummy Section
Four mummies are placed in a special section. It’s very dark here and can be quite scary. It was so dark, I couldn’t even read the descriptions. They house the preserved human remains of Lady Gautseshenu, Hor, Thothirdes and a man of the Roman period. CT scans and Xrays show them with their brains but without their internal organs. The organs were usually removed and placed into canopic jars. This long papyrus which contained prayers was inserted into every shabty.
Pottery Manufacture
Faience is actually a misnomer. It’s an Italian tradition of ceramic work but has somehow become associated with Egyptology. However, it’s amazing that during such an ancient time, these brilliant colors and designs of pottery existed. They used two principal materials, alluvial soil from the Nile river and soft desert shale called mari. Silt contained iron oxides and mari has calcium carbonate which fire to a buff color.
It’s just proof of how advanced the Egyptian civilization once was. If you look at all the jewelry, art and sculpture, the level of sophistication for such an ancient time period is shocking. Even the fact that they played chess like games and had furniture like ours. Of course, some of the furniture did look like what my grandmother kept but still 2500 BC and now. Not much has changed and yet, everything has changed.
Brooklyn Symphony Trio
By two in the afternoon, I was tired. So I went to the court and waited for the music. Here’s the sheet. Two bassoonists and a pianist played classical pieces. Sarah McKittrick Sethi, Yuki Katayama and John Russo formed the trio. Here’s some of it.
If you’re going to the Brooklyn Museum, carry something warm. It’s freezing inside there. I had a sweater and still thought it wasn’t enough. I didn’t try the cafeteria but it was well stocked and had quite a few options. By four thirty I was exhausted and made my way home. I missed the entrance for the subway and decided to walk back instead.
Other Intriguing Art
Overall, the Brooklyn Museum a great place to visit. I like the earthy art and that’s what most of my pictures are about. Take your time at the Museum. I doubt you can pair it with Prospect Park and the Botanical Gardens. You wouldn’t do either justice.
