Leighton Gage writes a series of
crime novels featuring Chief Inspector Mario Silva of the Brazilian Federal
Police. The New
York Times has referred to his books as
“top notch… controversial and entirely absorbing” and called the new one, Every Bitter Thing, “irresistible.” Readers can access a video
of him at http://www.leightongage.com, and read his
weekly contributions on the blog he shares with seven other writers of international
mysteries at http://murderiseverywhere.blogspot.com/. He
lives and works in Brazil.
I’m
a museum nut. Maybe
it has something to do with being museum-starved here in São Paulo, where we
have so very few.
Although,
if you ever come here, you really shouldn’t miss our MASP. It’s got the finest
collection of Western Art in all of the Southern Hemisphere. And a very
attractive building as well, under which a flea market is held every Sunday.
I
have made it my goal to visit all of the great art museums of the world and I’ve
been pretty successful at achieving it, but there remain two glaring exceptions
in my museum knowledge.
The
Hermitage...
...and
the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.
I’ve
never been to either place.
I’m
sure you’ve heard of the former, but you may not be familiar with the latter,
which has the most precious collection of Chinese Art in the world – and is one
of the reasons why mainland China is so anxious to annex the country. You can
read about the history of the museum here: http://www.npm.gov.tw/en/about/tradition.htm
And, while there, I suggest you click on the “Collection” tab at the top of the
page and sample of few of the museum’s delights. Chinese art isn’t everyone’s
cup of chai, certainly not mine, but
the place is still on my bucket list.
As
to the Hermitage, did you know how close it is to Helsinki?
I’ve
been in Finland many times, but have yet to make it to St. Petersburg, despite
many promises to my wife to do so. The two cities are separated by little more
than 180 miles – and there’s a train. But I’ll be in Helsinki again, in
September, for the launch of another Finnish version of one of my books – and,
this time, I’ve resolved to go.
The
thing about museums and me is that, no matter how much I love them, if I’m in
one for more than about three hours at a stretch, my level of appreciation
drops. And, since I don’t see myself ever spending more than a few days in
Taipei, I fear that my visit to the National Palace Museum is going to be an
incomplete experience. That’s why I prefer to make extended stays in those
cities that have lots to offer in the museum department.
And,
being both a writer and a guy whose kids are no longer at home, my wife and I
can often get away with it.
In
2009, for example, we spent the time between March and October in Paris. Enough
time to see all of the museums, right?
Wrong!
Paris has more than 140 of them. Some of them are so small you can do them in a
morning.
One
such, is the splendid little Museum of Romantic Life: http://news-e.hoosta.com/museum-of-romantic-life-in-paris/
Another
is the Museum of Eroticism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_Eroticism
Warning: that one is “X” rated. They project classic pornographic films in
black and white and have a myriad of interesting...objects. Don’t
bring the kids.
The
Mother of All Paris Museums is, of course, the Louvre.
If
you’re living in Paris, as we were, one of the first things you should buy for
yourself is a membership in the Société
des Amis du Louvre: http://www.amisdulouvre.fr/index.htm
They
have a little shop in one of the galleries you’ll pass on your way from the
Metro to the ticket booths. Drop in, and for a mere ninety Euros, you can buy a
family membership, valid for two, for a year. And, with one of those, you get
to bypass the long lines at the ticket windows and visit for as long as you
like, whenever you like. The normal entry fee to the Louvre is 14 Euros a
person, so you and your spouse, if you have one, are going to spend 28 Euros a
visit. Do the math. In four visits, the membership pays for itself. But with
your membership card you can drop by for an hour or so without it seeming like
an indulgence. Which is what we did, several times a week between March and
October of 2009. I can honestly say that I now know the Louvre better than any
other great museum in the world.
Finally,
folks, a suggestion. If you haven’t yet visited Paris’s Jacquemart-André, you
really should check it out: http://www.musee-jacquemart-andre.com/en/jacquemart/
They
have a truly splendid collection of paintings by Italian and Flemish masters
housed in what used to be a private mansion back in the Belle Époque. The art
is fantastic, but the place is well worth-seeing for the building alone.
Thanks for blogging with us today, Leighton. I'm like you where museums are concerned. Love them, but my eyes glaze over after a while. Why do you think there are so few museums in Sao Paulo?
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Leighton! So I'm curious, if you had to choose, which is your favorite museum? Mine would be the Natural History one at the Smithsonian. But that might because after so many repeat visits, the staff recognizes me...
ReplyDeleteHi Heidi,
ReplyDeleteGood question. Here's the answer:
At the dawn of the twentieth century, SP was a backwater of less than 200,000 inhabitants.
Back then, Rio de Janeiro was the largest city in the country. It was also the political capital of the nation.
Pedro II, deposed in 1889, had ruled there for almost sixty years, and he was a great patron of the arts.
In his day, painters, musicians, sculptors and such folk flocked there in search of work.
And the wealthy people of the city copied their emperor by giving it to them.
Those same wealthy "Cariocas" also bought a lot of art from abroad and supported the establishment of places to display it.
And that's why, until today, Rio has many more museums than SP does.
But SP has long since become the financial capital of the nation, the place where most of the wealth is now concentrated, and "Paulistas" hate being outdone.
Many new museums have opened their doors in SP during the last half-century or so, but they have come too late to be able to acquire much great art because so little of it is coming on the market.
And only the MASP has managed to build up a truly respectable collection.
Hi Supriya,
I have a weakness for the Dutch and Flemish masters, so I tend to prefer places that own such pieces.
The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Frick Collection in New York, the Musée des Beaux Arts in Brussels, the Louvre in Paris and the National Gallery in Washington, DC to name a few.
I really couldn't give you just one.
It's not European but here's one you might have to add to your list, Leighton. The recently renovated National Museum of China: http://tinyurl.com/3rlxft3
ReplyDeleteInteresting history of museums in Brazil.
I can easily spend a day in a museum, from the moment it opens and until they throw me out the door. I spent all day in the Vienna museum. I spent all day in V&A in London. In my memory, the Hermitage is bigger than Louvre, although I can be wrong - after all it's been over 20 years since I visited it last. It took me more than a day to get through it, I had to come back, and I still didn't get to see all of it.
ReplyDeletethank you for your post, I love knowing there are museum nuts out there, just like me!