Monday, April 11, 2011

Destination: Norton Simon Museum

Tulips in a Vase, Paul Cezanne, Norton Simon Museum
 Field trip with Mom to Pasadena, where we stopped at the gorgeous Norton Simon Museum. Have you been there? It is like an enormous banquet of delicious paintings. Mom brought her book, just in case she tired of walking and looking at paintings, but she never took it out.

I enjoyed the entire 20th century and 19th century collections, but the "Tulips in a Vase" painting by Cezanne sucker punched me. It is intense, serious, mature, considered, and captivating. Even now, looking at the photo of the painting, I am hungry for more.

 The Museum allows dry media in all of its exhibits and there were many artists drawing and sketching the paintings and extensive sculpture collection. Above you see a young woman with charcoal copying a Van Gogh painting.

Portrait of a Peasant, 1888, Vincent Van Gogh, Norton Simon Museum
For color, vibrancy, texture, brushwork, there is nothing like a Van Gogh painting. This one held me hostage for quite a while. Even Mom stood to the side to figure out the impasto. 

I would love to come back and spend more time at the museum. Anyone want to take a road trip?

4 comments:

Pam Holnback said...

I, too, love his tulips. I might try one like his. We both should!

Ralph said...

Lucky lucky you Inspiring

SamArtDog said...

Sometimes standing in front of a famous artist's painting gives me celebrity-itis. The thrill of proximity, even with the distance of time and space from the artist, floors me. How about you?

Katherine van Schoonhoven said...

Pam: I like your idea. I'll try one when I get back home later this week! Thanks for thinking of it.

Ralph: so good to see you here! Thanks for the comment.

Sam: you said it!! I felt like I could see Cezanne's brush pushing the paint around as I looked at it. I love to see good at at art museums -- it's a thrill!!