A lot has been said about love, each of us, ordinary people, has an opinion that matters more or less but those whose opinion matters, in my opinion, are, first of all, those who have a connection with art (poets, writers, painters, musicians..., all artists) and philosophers, those who observe and try to understand life in a deeper way. The opinions, sayings, and works of these people are most pertinent and ... differ greatly. If for some love is the source of life, for others, it is the end of life or a disease...
"Love's a malady without cure"
John Dryden once said. Now I have to admit I didn't know who John Dryde was. I looked him up and found that he was a great poet who died in the 1600s. He is considered the greatest English poet of the seventeenth century.
But for all of them love is the main source of inspiration, the main subject of activity and expression through the art they serve.
I now want to argue the above by referring to painters and photographers. Let me continue with impressions and images after visiting an exhibition dedicated to love in the first place.
Art Safari - Love Edition.
The exhibition was organized in Bucharest and will close its doors on 10 September. About me, I can tell you that I am a small art consumer and a lover of music, film, painting, and photography. The visual arts and music have made my life more enjoyable and have definitely made it more beautiful...
Art Safari is the concept of presenting painting and photography in a much more spectacular way than in classical museums, some of which, even though they hold important works of art, seem outdated.
Art Safari brings together artworks from many museums and private collections in unique and unexpected locations, making retrospectives of artists within themes. Muted music, light of various colors, and dimness create a special, mysterious atmosphere...
As has happened now, when the theme is love!
This is my third post about the museum where I have spent many more than pleasant hours. The venue that hosted this year's edition of Art Safari is a heritage building in Bucharest. Dacia-Romania Palace. Although its name suggests that it was the home of a king or prince, this is not the case. This building was built at the end of the 19th century to be the headquarters of an insurance company.
I will now continue with the most important room, a special room where one of Brancusi's masterpieces, "The Kiss", is exhibited. In every post so far I've wanted to present this little sculpture and... I wasn't ready for it yet. I think the next post will be the time for "The Kiss"!
Until then, more love stories follow, in different ways of love, with exhibits brought from the National Portrait Gallery in London.
Portraying Relationships - Shared Lives
Another theme of the paintings brought from London is another face of love. Love as a couple, as a family, and for the long term. It falls well in my interest, as over 45 years of marriage have already passed over me.
I would like to explain a little why I alternate photos of some of the exhibits with photos showing the visitors of the exhibition. I think it is equally important, when presenting an exhibition or a museum, not to show only the paintings on the walls, however wonderful and valuable they may be. I think that the atmosphere in the museum is also important and this cannot be perceived without images of the visitors, their expressions and the position of their bodies, and their interest or disinterest in what they see there. This is the only way to transform a cold and still place into something alive and attractive. My opinion!
A museum must be, beyond the aesthetic and visual side, a place for learning. It is obvious that everyone who sees a museum leaves there richer in knowledge, but the degree and amount of information differs. In some museums, only the title of a painting is displayed, with no further explanation. When there is more explanation and information you learn more, don't you?
Fortunately, at Art Safari all the exhibits have a lot of information about them. Unfortunately, I, in my stupidity, also photographed the label next to the paintings without realizing that by enlarging it would become unintelligible, and so I missed a lot of information I needed because I didn't know either the authors of the paintings and photographs or the characters in the paintings and photographs. I then tried to gather information from the internet, so that I could tell you...
Here is an example where I could not read the information in the box.
I only remember from what I read when I visited the exhibition that this is a married couple of English politicians from the Labour Party.
With other paintings and photos, I had more success and I could finally decipher the necessary information...
Sir Harry Djanogly and Carol, Lady Gjangoly (with their daughter Simone)
This painting by Dutch painter Wim Haldens depicts the Djanogly couple, well-known art collectors and philanthropists, with their daughter showing a painting by Lucian Freud for Lady Carol.
Beyond a calm and warm family reunion, this painting shows Lady Carol just days before her death.
The Lucian Freud painting she received remains as a reminder of her life with Sir Harry and Simone and their shared love of art. Because the most successful and enduring partnerships happen when partners share common passions!
If you want to know more about the painter Lucian Freud, find it here in the previous post: Art Safari - Love Edition
Peter Pears and Benjamin Britten
Painting of Kenneth Green
Pears (1910-1986) was an English tenor and Britten (1913-1976) was an English composer. They had a personal (they were a couple) and professional relationship for more than forty years. The painting was done when the two returned from America during the war, World War II, of course. Equally certain is that I can't tell you which in the painting is Pears and which is Britten.
On the same note of unusual couples, in some places on this earth, even unimaginable...
Helen si Kate Richardson-Walsh
This photograph by British photographer Graham Hughes, acquired by the National Portrait Gallery in London in 2016, shows Helen Richardson-Walsh(née Richardson) and Kate Richardson-Walsh(née Walsh) who are two British hockey players. They became famous in 2016 when they became the first married same-sex pair to win an Olympic gold medal together.
In the photo that suggests calm, relaxation, and the joy of being together...
Another example of a painting where I couldn't decipher the information box and had to search the London Gallery website.
George and Mary Christie
by David Hockney, 2002.
Watercolor on paper (4 sheets), 1220 x 915 mm
© 2003 David Hockney
Sir George Christie was Chairman of Glyndebourne Productions for over 40 years. He inherited the position in 1956 from his father, John, who founded the Glyndebourne Opera Festival in 1934.
Sir George and Lady Christie have been married since 1958. Hockney's friendship with the Christies dates back to the 1970s when he undertook the stage designs for John Cox's Glyndebourne productions of The Rake's Progress (1975) and The Magic Flute (1978).Source-National Portrait Gallery London
The latest in this series (unfinished, of course) sees a couple of famous people, both in the media and in their profession...
David and Victoria, Manchester, 1998, No.3 (Victoria Beckham and David Beckham)
Photo by Juergen Teller.
Fortunately, the label is readable and saves me the extra effort.
What Victoria says about this photo...
"It seemed to me that David and I were spending the day together, and there happened to be a photographer there"
Well, well... What a coincidence! Why doesn't that happen to me?
It seems like a never-ending exhibition. I still have to stop and leave it for next time, though, when I feel and think I'll get to the Kiss.
Brancusi's Kiss!
Art Safari, Bucharest, Romania
Previous posts:
Art Safari
Art Safari-Love Edition
Art Safari-Love Edition, or, Love's A Malady Without Cure
This edition of the great exhibition, Art Safari - Love Edition, is still hosted by the Dacia-Romania Palace in Bucharest.
//:# (!pinmapple 44.43218 lat 26.09898 long Art Safari-Love Edition, or, Love's A Malady Without Cure d3scr)
Dacia-Romania Palace is located in the Old Town, on Lipscani Street, opposite the imposing headquarters of the Romanian National Bank.
This is the most famous tourist area of Bucharest, the capital of Romania. Those who visit this city can also visit this exceptional exhibition.
Visiting hours:
Thursday - Sunday - 12:00 - 21:00
Night Tours - every Friday and Saturday - 22:00 - 01:00
Ticket price for one day: $20
