A Solo Trip to the MuseumMuseums around the World
Well, not really, but I've been to a few here and there. There is a great advantage to traveling solo when going to the museum. If you are on your own, you can spend as little or as long as you like, looking at one painting or sculpture that captivates you. You can sit for an hour or five minutes. How great is that! Look into getting a museum pass for the day, or several days if you have the time. Make sure the cost for the pass is equal to or less than what you would pay for entrance. Also, make sure that the museum you want to see accepts the pass. Not all do. So, be sure to calculate the additional admission costs. Some museums are free, or have free days so take advantage if it fits your schedule. Check the museums schedules as well, no fun to plan a day, and find the museum closed! I usually go to the museums website or look in the guide book to figure out what pieces I really want to try to see in a particular museum. Some museums are so large you can't see everything. By doing a little advance research, you can choose what is most important for you to see in the time you have available, and pick up a museum plan on arrival, or use your guide book. Most museums will not allow you to carry any shopping bags or backpacks inside. They usually have a "coat room" where you can check your bag. No Flash Photography!!!! While many museums will let you take non flash pictures, PLEASE do not use flash, the flash will degrade the artwork. I think it is very important to respect this rule. Do unto others, if we all treat everyone's artwork with this respect it will last much longer for all to enjoy. Anyway, here are a few that I have visited and what I liked. France Paris Museums Musee du Louvre – Museum of art, sculpture and artifacts. Most famous painting is the Mona Lisa. Most famous sculpture is Venus de Milo. 
I went specifically to see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory. Musee d'Orsay – Museum of art, paintings and sculpture. I went to see the Rodin and Camille Claudel pieces. I also enjoyed many of the other sculptures in the center of the museum. On my second visit, I wandered around the perimeter to see the paintings. Musee Rodin – A museum and garden, primarly of sculpture that includes pieces by Rodin and Camille Claudel. Camille Claudel is my favorite sculptor, but I've been here twice and still look at the Rodin pieces, which I really enjoy, as well. Center Pompidou - Art on the outside and the inside. The architecture of the building is unique. The piping and ductwork are all on the outside of the structure. Six stories of Modern Art, restaurants, cafes, and an information library. The museum has a large collection and host exhibitions. Additionally there is Brancusi's Studio and a large piazza which is often filled with people and street performers. I have visited this museum three times. I have enjoyed it equally each time. There has always been an interesting exhibition to enjoy. I can visit the works of Wassily Kandinsky and Jackson Pollock every time I come here. Musee Picasso – A collection of drawings, paintings and sculpture. The museum has an indoor and outdoor area. I find Picasso very interesting. Some of his paintings I like and some I don't like or "get" at all. I enjoyed many sculptures that I had never seen before. Picasso made more sculptures then I'd realized, so I really enjoyed this museum! Link to the Musee Picasso (in French) Musee Zadkine - A sculpture museum. I visited this museum in order to learn more about Ossip Zadkine. Link to information on the Musee Zadkine Musee Antoine Bourdelle -There are 900 sculptures in the house, studio, and garden. I had seen several pieces by Bourdelle around Paris, and once I saw the guide book, I had to go. This is one of the largest collections by one artist that I have seen. Wonderful! Link to information on Musee Bourdelle Musee Maillol - A museum of drawings, paintings, engravings, sculptures and objects dedicated to Aristide Maillol. I came here to see Dina Vierny's private collection that included a piece by Rodin. There happened to be a photo exhibit from a magazine shoot of Marilyn Monroe, which was good. Musee de Mineralogie - A collection of minerals as mined, polished or cut. If you have read any of my other pages, you know how interested I am in anything stone. There is a HUGE collection here. The largest variety of stones I have seen. I really enjoyed my visit! Link to the Musee de Mineralogie at the School of Mines in Paris Collection des Mineraux de l'Universite - A collection of cut and uncut gemstones and rock crystals in the basement of the Universite Pierre et Marie Curie. Ah, more rocks! Life is grand! This is a smaller but very nice collection. I really enjoyed my visit! Link to the Musee de Mineralogie at the School of Mines in Paris Musee des Arts et Metiers - A museum of science and industry. The theme is man's ingenuity and his/her inventions. The reason I came here, was to see the cameras and mechanical instruments. I was surprised by other early tools and modern mechanical inventions. I really thought this was a great museum! Link to the Musee des Arts et Metiers Cite des Science et de l'Industrie/Planetarium - A museum of science and technology, that includes a planetarium, a children's science hands-on area, a theater, library, and other exhibits. I made a brief visit here a year earlier and looked at the astronomy displays, but didn't have time to go to the planetarium. My second trip, I saw the show at the planetarium, which was pretty good. They also had a great exhibit dedicated to recyclable, reusable, renewable and energy saving products. There was some had crank items, a residential windmill, textiles, building materials and other items. Nicely done and very thought provoking! Link to the Cite des Science et de l'Industries. Musee de la Sculpture in Plein Air - This museum, is actually an outdoor sculpture garden along the Seine in the Jardin Tino Rossi. Musee de l'Orangerie - Reopened recently, this museum has a large space dedicated to Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" series. There are oval rooms on the ground floor where the curved paintings are hung. Link to the Musee de l'Orangerie (In the upper right there is a popup text in English).
Caen, Normandy The Memorial - A museum dedicated to Peace. The Memorial has information about many wars, and contains many artifacts. I admit I cried during the 3 hours I spent here. I read letters to families, from soldiers preparing for D-Day, I saw some I-beams from the World Trade Center and pieces of the Berlin Wall. I saw plaques from every State in the US in tribute to those who had fought in the War. There is a Nobel Peace Prize Gallery, paying tribute to all that have earned this Prize. This is an amazing museum. I spent over 3 hours here. I'd say plan for half a day. Spain Madrid Museums The Prado - The museum is large so we focused on Spanish masterpieces, the works of Goya, El Greco and Valezquez. I especially was impressed by Las Meninas the painting is interesting, because there is a 3D type effect, exhibiting great technique by Valezquez.
Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza - It is based on a collection by Baron Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza and his son, Hans Heinrich. In 1992 it was brought to the 18th century Villahermosa Palace. Its intention is to illustrate the history of Western Art. There is also Carmen Thyssens private collection available as well. During the visit I saw a Kandinsky, which I'd not seen before and liked, and a Pollack which is not one of my favorites of his drizzle style paintings. There were also a lot of Picasso paintings, which I liked. I was able to spend a couple of hours wandering through, and so I think I saw almost everything, even though I wandered at a good pace. Link to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia - I was able to see the famous Picasso painting, Guernica. There were other Picasso, Salvador Dali pieces that I enjoyed. There were quite a few pieces my Jean Miro, who I find interesting but not one of my favorite artists, and several more Kandinsky's. (Of course, this is just naming a few of the many pieces on exhibit.) There were a lot more sculptures in this museum, and I found several pieces by David Smith, who I had first seen at the Nasher Sculpture Museum in Dallas. I really like his work. Link to the Reina Sofia Museum
Great Britain England London Tower of London - Home to Kings and Queens, as well as a prison. The Tower is currently home to the Crown Jewels. Link to a Virtual Tour of the Tower of London National Gallery - A free museum with a collection of Western European paintings. Link to The National Gallery in London British Museum - A free museum with a collection of art and objects spanning centuries of human history. I found the Rosetta Stone to be the most fascinating piece on display here. I guess because I like puzzles, I remember studying about the efforts taken to translate the stone.
USA Dallas, Texas The Book Repository/John F. Kennedy Museum - The museum is dedicated to President Kennedy and the events before and after his assassination. Lee Harvey Oswald shot him from the 6th floor window in the corner of the former Book Repository. The museum is very interesting. You can also stand on the "grassy knoll" and a little morbid in a way, but there is an X marking the spot on the street showing where he was at when shot. Nasher Sculpture Center - Primarily a sculpture museum (hence the name), there were also sketches. There is also a very nice Sculpture Garden. I went specifically to see Rodin's Eve, but I was very lucky to find the works of David Smith at the gallery. I had not heard of him, and found him to be a wonderful sculptor, and now one of my favorites. The Nasher Sculpture Center in Dallas The Women's Museum - Dedicated to the history of American women. I didn't have a lot of time here, but enough time to enjoy Annie Leibovitz: Women. The Women in History wall was also wonderful. Go to Art Page Return to Top of Museum Page
|
