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Della Robbia and Making Modern at the MFA

Della Robbia and Making Modern at the MFA

Bean bag chairs.
Bean bag chairs.

I’ve got out of the habit of thinking about my blog. And I can’t quite clear the mental clutter of all those learning notes posts I’ve written in draft form and never put up because I never got around to sorting out the pictures. But here’s a relatively quick post. We went to the MFA again on Thursday. There was a Della Robbia exhibit that’s just opened and one of Modern Art that includes some Georgia O’Keeffe pieces and a Jackson Pollock and some Frieda Kahlo and that fit really nicely with our modern history focus.

Lucy is crowded.
Lucy is crowded.
Lucy gets the bench to herself.
Lucy gets the bench to herself.

Everyone was eager to go except Anthony who groused that the museum is boring because we’ve already seen everything. Once I corrected that and told him about the new exhibits he was much more excited about the trip.

We listened to The Long Winter on the car ride into Boston. Got to the museum right at opening time and saw the Della Robbia and then headed for the cafeteria and an early lunch. Beat the crowds and had a much pleasanter dining experience. We’re really getting to the point where we know the museum well enough to have a sort of routine.

The Della Robbia exhibit was much more impressive than I expected. There were some very large pieces, including a beautiful Resurrection relief and a lovely life size Visitation sculpture and some Franciscan saints. The children really loved it, too.

Della Robbia Madonna and Child
Della Robbia Madonna and Child
Della Robbia pieta
Della Robbia pieta
Della Robbia, St Francis and Franciscan saints.
Della Robbia, St Francis and Franciscan saints.
Della Robbia Mother of Sorrows
Della Robbia Mother of Sorrows
Della Robbia Visitation.
Della Robbia Visitation.

There weren’t enough Georgia O’Keeffe pieces to really satisfy. The Making Modern exhibit felt like a series of teasers. Not enough of any one artist, but there were a few really fine paintings that we enjoyed.

Bella sketches O'Keeffe
Bella sketches O’Keeffe
Sophie admires O'Keeffe
Sophie admires O’Keeffe
Bella's sketch.
Bella’s sketch.
Whimsical column.
Whimsical column.
Lucy with Jackson Pollack
Lucy with Jackson Pollack
Jackson Pollack bowl.
Jackson Pollack bowl.

I wasn’t sure how to get to the Making Modern exhibit, which turned out to be on the 3rd floor, which we’d never been to before, so we took a very long detour that covered what seemed like half of the museum, and we stopped and looked at quite a few things along the way, not without some complaints in certain quarters.

Woman reading.
Woman reading.

Sophie and Bella both had questions about modern art. Sophie wanted to know if modern was better. A curious question that I want to come back to and dig into more. Bella expressed disdain for a lot of modern art, which is emotions and shapes and noise and doesn’t really show you anything. But she does love some modern works and most emphatically O’Keeffe. So that was great fun.

IMG_2666

IMG_2667

Ben was really struck by the Egyptian rooms. We’ve been reading a book of Egyptian myths that he got for his birthday and they really spoke to him. He’s starting to really find favorite pieces and to connect to them. He’s moving away from the museum is boring camp and into the big kid camp. Big kids like the museum and have relationships with the art.

Ben in the Egyptian room.
Ben in the Egyptian room.
Ben looks at Egyptian boats.
Ben looks at Egyptian boats.
Ben with Edward Hopper.
Ben with Edward Hopper.

Anthony liked Della Robbia and I think he liked the Georgia O’Keeffe too. He was quieter and I didn’t have as much opportunity to check in with him. It’s hard to keep track of everyone.

Fountain at the Fenway entrance.
Fountain at the Fenway entrance.
Fountain at the Fenway entrance.
Fountain at the Fenway entrance.
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2 comments
  • I don’t usually comment here, but I am so glad you are back. Your museum trips remind me of the ones I used to take with my own boy (now in college) ๐Ÿ™‚

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