The Spaulding Collection, MFA

One of the most fun parts about my membership at the MFA is that I have discovered so many new parts of the museum from just wandering around that were previously unknown to me.  Yesterday, after seeing the wonderful Melendez show, I poked around in the Asian wing.  Tucked away in a small corner I found a sampling of Japanese prints from the Spaulding Collection.  This huge collection of original Japanese block prints was donated to the MFA by the brothers Spaulding with a unique stipulation.  Due to the fact that these prints tend to fade quickly in sunlight, the brothers asked that the collection not be shown to the public.  With the invention of UV protecting glass, however, the museum is now able to show some of these stunning graphic works which are now on display.

Here a couple of my favorites that I'd like to share with you.  There are quite a few more to see. You can view low-res scans of these prints online at the MFA's website by clicking here.

Luis Melendez at the MFA

I stopped off at the MFA yesterday to see the Luis Melendez exhibition that just opened.  I didn't know a thing about the artist until I first read about him in the morning before heading out of the door.  From my research, I learned that he is highly regarded for his still life paintings.  What drew me to the show in the first place were the pictures the MFA advertised of his food paintings.  I figured that any artist who is as obsessed with food and wine as me would be someone whose works I would like to know more about.

The show was a real treat.  It started at the National Gallery in DC, and is on display here in Boston for a few months.  Melendez aspired to be a court artist for the Spanish royalty in the 18th century, but instead was recognized by the Prince for his skill in rendering food and culinary implements.  He painted the same objects and foods over and over again, and as you can imagine, became very good at it.  You can even see some of the original implements on display at the MFA.  The prince commissioned him to paint a series of the indigenous foods of Spain, which in turn defined Melendez's output from that point on.  There were even a few still-lifes that had been painted over portraits that he never managed to sell.

Dürer at the MFA, Boston

Armed with my new membership card to the MFA here in Boston, I headed over to the museum yesterday to see a couple of things I found on their website. I’m determined to get my $100 worth out of it, and at this rate, I’ll have accomplished my goal by March! My strategy is to keep things fresh by only staying for an hour or two and to hit up a couple different exhibits each time rather than trying to digest the entire museum in one day. They have such a huge collection that I would feel overwhelmed if I tried to see it all in one trip. So far, my series of short visits have left me craving more. Success!

Ancient Egypt and Toulouse-Latrec at the MFA, Boston

By looking out the window where I work, I can always see what the latest special exhibit at the Museum of Fine Art is here in Boston. There are these handy ads that hang from the streetlights that I can read from one of our dining rooms.  I've seen past exhibitions like the "Tintoretto, Titian, and Veronese," "El Greco to Velazquez," and "Madame X" and they have always been wonderful.   The announcement of "The Secrets of Tomb 10-A" has been taunting me for the past month or two, so I decided it was high time to get out of the house and see it on my day off.