Thursdays at the museum

February 4, 2015 by Katie Noah Gibson

This fall, the Harvard Art Museums finally reopened after a six-year, extensive renovation.

I met my husband and a friend there one day in November. They’d had lunch in Harvard Square, and J’s friend wanted to see the museums while he was in the neighborhood. But we didn’t have much time, and we only got a glimpse of the galleries. (Though we did get to marvel at the gorgeous central courtyard, which alone is worth the price of admission.)

I like to have a mission during my winter lunch breaks, when it’s often too cold to spend the whole time outside. The art museums are across campus from my office, a 10-minute stroll through Harvard Yard. It’s a gorgeous walk, and not too far if it’s frigid out. So I’ve put it on my calendar for the winter: on Thursdays, I go to the museums.

I don’t consider myself an art aficionado – though I enjoy a good museum, particularly when I’m traveling. But the art museums are almost literally in my backyard. I get in for free, as a Harvard staff member, and I want to enjoy the treasures on display – even if I don’t appreciate all of them equally. (Abstract art usually leaves me cold.)

So far, I’ve been to the museums four times, and I’ve made some beautiful discoveries. I fell in love with a Klimt painting (The Pear Tree, above) on my first solo excursion.

I ended up transfixed by a display of medieval Persian luster tiles on my second trip. They remind me of my visit to the Alhambra in Spain, long ago.

Last week, I stumbled onto Monet’s gorgeous rendition of Charing Cross Bridge in London.

The photo does not do justice to its moody loveliness. Also, it hangs just a few yards away from Degas’ Little Dancer.

I like reading the captions and descriptions of the pieces, of course, but I am also doing my best to look – to simply pay attention to the paintings and vases and other pieces, rather than feeling like I have to learn everything about them. For a word girl like me, this is difficult, but also rewarding.

I’ve only seen about half of the galleries so far. But I like knowing I can take my time and come back whenever I want. And it gives me something to look forward to every week – a key winter survival tactic.

Are you a museum person, or an art lover? Any good museums in your neighborhood?

Posted in musings | Tagged art, Cambridge, Degas, Harvard, Klimt, Monet, museums | 15 Comments

15 Responses

on February 4, 2015 at 10:06 am | Reply Roxanne

Loved this post. I have got to get out and see the new Harvard Art Museums. When I was an undergrad there, I took an art history class whose small-student sections met IN THE MUSEUM (before it closed for renovation). It was one of my favorite learning experiences. Sending warmth and snowflakes your way.
- on February 4, 2015 at 11:14 am | Reply katieleigh
  
  We could go together! They’re gorgeous.
on February 4, 2015 at 1:15 pm | Reply Mikael

I LOVE museums and I love reading about art and artists. My favorite period is Impressionism. My favorite museums thus far is the Legion of Honor in San Francisco and the Greater Victoria Museum of Art in Victoria, BC. I also like the Institute of Art in Minneapolis. They have the best collection I have seen of any museum. In my home city of Seattle, I love going to the Frye Art Musuem which is within walking distance from my house.

I was in Boston last Spring and went to Harvard to visit the museums and was sad that they were closed. I look forward to visiting the Harvard Museums on my next visit to Boston.
I loved the Isabella Gardner Museum for the building itself and enjoyed my visit there. I LOVED the Boston MFA and visited there over 3 days during my visit.

I have found that museum cafes have the best food. I have always eaten well at them.

If you haven’t read, The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro, I highly recommend this book.
on February 4, 2015 at 1:50 pm | Reply Amber

Have you read the novel “The Painted Girls”? It’s not often I recognize a work of art (unless it’s something uber famous), but I immediately recognized the Little Dancer from that book.
- on February 4, 2015 at 9:22 pm | Reply katieleigh
  
  I haven’t, though I keep hearing about it. Now I’m even more intrigued!
on February 4, 2015 at 1:59 pm | Reply writeoncindy

I LOVED your post this morning! What a treat to visit the reopening of the new Harvard Art Museums. We have a very vibrant art scene here in South Florida, which often surprises visitors, but locals are quite proud and supportive of. The new Perez Art Museum of Miami (PAMM) has gained International acclaim for both its architecture and collections. I visit most weeks for it’s breathtaking bay front location so I can have lunch or an afternoon coffee with a friend. It truly does come down to savoring the small things in daily life.
- on February 4, 2015 at 9:22 pm | Reply katieleigh
  
  Ooh, very cool. I haven’t been to Miami, but that sounds wonderful!
on February 4, 2015 at 4:28 pm | Reply Eagle-Eyed Editor

I’m both a museum and an art lover. There are some great museums in my area (DC metro).
- on February 4, 2015 at 9:21 pm | Reply katieleigh
  
  Yes, definitely. Smithsonians galore!
on February 4, 2015 at 9:10 pm | Reply Moira

What a great way to spend the winter! I used to do the same thing every week when I was going to grad school at Simmons, which is so close to both the Gardner museum and the MFA. I would wander around one of them each week until it was time to catch my train. I never checked out the Harvard museums though. I’ll have to go the next time I’m in the city…if for no other reason than to see those paintings behind the Degas! Gorgeous!
- on February 4, 2015 at 9:21 pm | Reply katieleigh
  
  Moira, let me know when you’re here and we can go together! 🙂 Love the Gardner and the MFA!
on February 4, 2015 at 9:54 pm | Reply Hilary

If you like the Klimt painting, I recommend the book “The Lady in Gold” by Anne-Marie O’Connor which is a stunning story of the tragedy of the Klimt painting of the same name that was taken by the Nazis in World War II and its reclamation from the Austrian government by a descendant of the Jewish woman who was the subject of the painting. The painting is now on display at the Neue Museum in New York City and if you read the book, you will want to make a trip to that museum. The whole first part of the book is about Klimt and the book is fabulously interesting. Author is a Washington Post writer and the book is meticulously researched while being very moving and exciting. Movie soon to be released starring Helen Mirren.
- on February 6, 2015 at 10:04 am | Reply Greta
  
  I traveled from the Gulf Coast to New York just to see Klimt’s Adele Bloch-Bauer painting–I must have sat with it in the gallery for more than an hour. It is so exquisite, and I’m thrilled to hear there is a movie in the works. It was featured in a PBS special on the “Monuments Men” several years ago.
on February 5, 2015 at 5:22 pm | Reply Lindsey Mead (@lemead)

I really want to check out the new Harvard museums, and the Rothko exhibit in particular! MUST GO. xox
on February 6, 2015 at 11:59 am | Reply Jennifer M.

I have a very small Glass Museum just miles from my house called Wheaton Arts. I have a membership there, just so I can walk through the galleries and enjoy the peace and beauty of the many works there. They also have a working glass studio where artists demonstrate glass-making. It’s really a charming place. I think art definitely has a place in our day-to-day lives. I do envy you seeing such famous pieces on a weekly basis!