Monday 23 September 2013

Blink and you'll see it

One of the unoriginal but mandatory things for me touring any city 
is visiting the museums.
Vienna had a particularly organized section of the city they called Museum Quarter.



As the name illustrated, 
there was a cluster of various museums all around one plaza 
with inclusive communal seating arrangements.



I first went to the Leopold Museum which houses local artists who 
I happen to be a fan of such as Gustav Klimt and Egon Schiele


.

Self portrait of Egon Schiele





The architecture of the museum itself was just as beautiful as 
the works it was displaying.





I have to say while I like Klimt, he kind of scares me.
They recreated the room with the original furniture 
that he used as his studio.


One of his more recognizable works.


I then went to the Kuntshistoriche Museum which houses one of the best art collections in the world.  
The building itself was also monumental.



Not your typical Starbucks for a caffeine fix.


The collection includes one of the 37 Vermeer paintings in the world along with a room with an extensive Bruegel selection 
including many other masterpieces.

But have you ever had museum fatigue syndrome?

You are surrounded by priceless works of art and yet...
A Holbein just looks like any other...
 Dutch Masters all seem to paint the same damn window 
over and over again...
 Velazquez has painted yet another member of the Spanish royal family...I mean, they all look alike anyway!
Paintings that you would kill to have in your home 
are now glanced at for barely a few seconds...

Sometimes art imitates life and vice versa.

The painting by Hans Jordaens as explained below.

But I don't come to Vienna every week so 
I try to soak it all in.
I'm walking around inside the museum and the extent of of prodigious works overwhelms me.

And I walk into another huge room, a couple of paintings from across the room pique my interest and I am inexplicably drawn to them even though it is another generic scene from either 
the Bible or a Greek myth.
I looked to see who the painter was and lo and behold 
it was one of my favorite artists Caravaggio.
David with the Head of Goliath
I am not fanatical about him and haven't studied him formally which is why I didn't even know that they were by him.
But have you read Blink by Malcolm Gladwell?
The premise is that sometimes conclusions and sentiments are instant and things reverberate both intellectually and emotionally.

The Crowning with Thorns
This was one of my blink moments.
It made me realize that I must trust my gut instinct and sometimes we are not all lemmings to the advertising industry.
 I like that, albeit unrequited, 
my connection with Caravaggio wasn't just a theoretical supposition but his amazing talent was validated by this little incident.

Now I just have to harness this at an auction house and buy a trinket for ten quid and it end up being a Ming vase!

33 comments:

  1. Thanks Laoch. I can safely sat I like Caravaggio now.

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  2. I've never been to Vienna but it sounds fantastic!
    xoxo

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  3. I think the same thing about Art. At one point I was thinking that I had to study a lot more about it (my art history education is fairly rudimentary), but then I thought about it and decided that the 'great' paintings I'm always drawn to anyway. Really, great art is so subjective, when picking out art I think you should just go with your gut and whether it moves you somehow... you have to live with it afterall.

    Yes, have experienced Art fatigue. As you say, you end up glancing at paintings instead of drinking them all in. Sometimes a museum experience is not the best medium for art appreciation. If one of those paintings was on the wall of a house you visited you'd spend ages staring at it. Mixed up with all the other greats to distract, it can all become a bit too much.
    Love your posts on Vienna. I'm definitely going soon I hope! xx

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    1. That's partly the reason I feel I have to revisit places. But so true I have admired works from a pleasant artist Los more thn a renaissance master in a museum! But it just made me realise just how prodigious Caravaggio was to lure me to his work even though I had been saturated with art. I think you'd just love Vienna in a way perhaps not fanatical like most love Paris but in a calmer way :) xx

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  4. You can always rely on Vienna for a sublime coffee house.
    We are absolute uncouth peasants, we hardly ever visit museums when we're away.


    Blink was a fantastic book.

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    1. There's a type of coffee they serve with brandy and an egg! Glad well is such a fun writer and speaker.

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    2. Still laughing about uncouth peasant!

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  5. I'm a total museum geek, so this would have been perfect for me. So much on display, I'd have been there all day at least. You could have a little nap on one of those sofas!

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    1. Yes me too but I realise as I get older a proper tour might help me edit bc I try to do too much initially then I get so blasé and just walk da Vinci giving it a quick nod!

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  6. I'm jealous that you've seen the museum quarter. I just couldn't fit in everything in a few days, including Salzburg. I did feel that I'll have a museum fatigue syndrome--which I always get by the way. It takes so much out of me. It defeats the purpose of looking at art to relax when there's a whole lot to look at! Viennese architecture is so breathtaking. So symmetrical, perfect and grand. I feel like dressing up a bit just to have coffee x

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    1. I didn't see all of it otherwise my eyes would have crossed wires! I liked Viennese architecture because it was quite varied and never got repetitive. I do miss the cafes there - just soooo amazing no? You will just have to revisit and absorb more of the city xx

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  7. I saw a great exhibition about Carravaggio some years back & I've loved him ever since. I think his work is incredibly charismatic. I find it fascinating that the face of Goliath is actually his own face. x

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    1. Yes he is quite charismatic - I think he would have been hypnotic as well in real life. I also love how he put himself in the paintings! x

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  8. N, do they still have some of the Klimt's in that gorgeous Succesionist building too? I like the gold on gold.
    And absolutely cheering your blink moment!

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    1. I don't know Heather as I just walked past. But next time I need to go in and see what they have and will report back to you :) x

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  9. Tell me I've led a sheltered life, but I don't know who any of those artists are that you have mentioned, but that is the beauty of reading blogs, to learn and for entertainment and I sure know very little about art, apart from the more commonly known artists. The Kuntshistoriche Museum is stunning, again I've never heard of it before, but should I ever visit the city, it would be on my things to do list.

    There was an art auction on the cruise - I went for fun. I was so tempted to buy a couple of pieces, just simply because the artwork looked amazing, but I really had no idea what I would be buying.

    I'm glad you experienced a blink moment! xx

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    1. I think you would love it all ( in doses!) because you have a great sense of style and genuine appreciation of craft and beauty :) xx

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  10. Vienna sounds pretty amazing.
    I'm so lacking in artistic culture that all I can compare it to, is when on pinterest, I try to pin stuff that I've already pinned, and am pleased that I am nothing if not consistent...... Need some culture fast, clearly.... :)

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    1. You have a great eye and are a great photographer so you will catch up in no time at all! :)

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    2. Have to laugh about Karen's comment. This happens to me all the time on Pinterest. I'm starting to think I have dementia! Lol.

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  11. Naomi. Love museums. Vienna looks like an amazing spot for culture. I know what you mean sometimes about getting cavalier about seeing such precious pieces...Funny how you loved Caravaggio. He is one of my favorites too along with Vermeer..So true about the windows..Now I really want to go to Vienna!

    xKim

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    1. Oh I adore Vermeer as well. The Kuntshistoriche also had a Vermeer! But it was so crowded and there was a few people just hogging it. I love a window myself though :) Yes you must go - right up your alley Kim xx

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  12. I love a Klimt.
    Vienna does refined pomp very well!
    Amsterdam is another fantastic art city...

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    1. Klimt is awesome but in real life I reckon he would have intimidated me...Love Amsterdam and need to get to the newly opened museums pronto!

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  13. I totally 'get' the museum fatigue syndrome! Ideally, we would have the time, money and self -restraint to go to a famous museum to see only one artist, or one particular painting! That rarely happens! And wouldn't it be wonderful to make that blink moment work at auctions!!!! By the way, I activated my subscription to your site but still no emails coming through. But don't worry; just know that I am following even if I don't get to your posts immediately :)

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    1. That's why I love London museums as they don't charge so you can go in with the intention of just seeing three paintings and walking out without the guilt of having paid twelve quid to get in and then you just try and get your money's worth! Sorry about that Gallivanta but thanks so much for your effort - am going to get in touch with someone about fixing the site this week :)

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  14. After seeing a documentary about Caravaggio, I am instantly drawn to his paintings. I also visited the Kuntshistoriche Museum when in Vienna last year. The building is enough to inspire and I do admit that I would make a bee-line for a sofa in each 'room' and sort of just sit there looking at these incredibly famour works. There was a full-on Gustav Klimt exhibition up when we were there but we missed it as one had to cross over some or other internal bridge!!! Vermeer is one of my favourite artists so I loved looking at his works.. but somehow, I also get exhausted strolling around for too long!!! xx

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    1. Dont you just love Caravaggio? I would have sat on the sofas but I was rushing around but next time I will just pick a few rooms and ignore the rest. I dont' like it when its so hard to find places and you miss out! But I do forget any style and wear sneakers when I know I am doing walking in any city. xx

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  15. Very convenient to have a museum quarter and I like the quirky seating. I understand what you mean about art fatigue - so many amazing and well
    known paintings under one roof that
    you just can't give enough attention to all of them during the one visit. I felt like that the first time I went to the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Overwhelming!

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    1. Musee d'Orsay is one of those museums where you get Museum fatigue badly - it's so amazing and each painting is more famous than the next...I haven't been to the Louvre in years because just the building is overwhelmingly beautiful!

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  16. I love that all London museums are free of charge, in the States nothing was for free (of course) but they offered pay what you wish admittance at the Guggenheim so I took full advantage of that and paid 1 dollar.:) I have no idea about entrance fees at the Museum Quarter, but since Vienna's just a 4-hour drive away I should really look into that and just go because I'm a huge fan of Klimt. And I wanna drink a cup of coffee in that building - I'm sure it feels like you're a part of some live installation!!!

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