Monday November 17, 2014

Walter Klingler
surrounded by naked women:
Reclining Naiad (front) and
Venus Italica (in back),
Antonio Canova (1757-1822)

Walter Klingler with
Domenico Giudi's (1625-1701)
 Andromeda and the Sea Monster

On Sunday we took the Crescent to New York City in order to see the Mikhailovosky Ballet Company's first American tour.

As the train pulled into Washington D. C.'s Union Station to change engines, we ran to our favorite Belgium chocolate store, Neuhaus,

Orpheus and Eurdice by
Auguste Rodin (1840-1917)

Stephen Boydstun with
Paris, ca. 1822-23 from
the workshop of
Antonio Canova (1757-1822)

and purchased an obscene amount of delicious bonbons. Got back on the train and dug into the small bag of "on the house" pralines which the store manager gave us. It was rainy and chilly as predicted, yet late enough for dinner, so we took off for a good meal at O'Reilly's Pub on 31st street. Sated, we walked back to the hotel, turned on the TV, dug into Neuhaus's best, and settled in for the night.

Woman's Head (1912) by
Amedeo Modigliani (1884-1920)
and Walter Klingler

Rain in NYC means museums, so since the forecast was rain all day Monday we took off for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It had been several years since we had been there and we ended up viewing new pieces and old favorites for the entire day.  

Deep Within the Ravine (1965)
by Hans Hofmann (1880-1966)

The Museum was in the process of creating an installation of paintings by Hans Hofmann to commemorate the publication of the comprehensive catalogue of his work in November 2014. Hofmann's large scale abstract paintings are dynamic and vivid. This photo doesn't due this work justice. The colors are way off so go to the Met's site if you want to see more of this highly influential artist.

I don't think we ever spent so much time in one museum at one time.

A good dinner at Pennsylvania 6 on 31st street was followed by Neuhaus chocolates to soothe our aching feet.