TWO-FER

 

A last image from Roman Art In the Time of Trajan at the St. Louis Art Museum. This is a creative view of busts of Trajan and Empress Pompeia Plotina, herself much respected.                         

CUT-OUT

 

One of the unusually good things about the Roman Art In the Time of Trajan show at the St. Louis Art Museum was the design of the galleries. It's usually not something you notice.                    

THE BIG GUY

 

The star of the show at the St. Louis Art Museum, Emperor Trajan himself (perhaps idealized). Spanish-born and widely popular, he brought the Roman Empire to its largest geographic extent and ruled from 98 to 117 CE. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trajan                     

ANCIENT SPLENDOR

 

The St. Louis Art Museum recently ended a show called Ancient Splendor - Roman Art In The Time of Trajan. Mrs. C and I made it just in time. It was beautifully displayed, and the degree of elegance and craft was striking.                     

WHITE, GOLD AND OUTTA HERE

 

Maybe not the best picture from Art In Bloom, but it's a travel day. Flying today to a giant airline hub and spending the night. Saturday morning down to our home away from home in Costa Rica. I think it's +/- our twenty-third visit to the country over some decades (we obviously like it). Anybody want to see pictures of beautiful Dallas - Ft. Worth International Airport?            

CURVES AND LINES

 

The title reminds me of calculus, which I had to take in college as a psych major. I was hopeless at it, and if it wasn't for the help of a friend who went on to a successful career in medicine, I might not have passed. I was better with the verbal stuff, which led to law school.

Art In Bloom always has an arrangement in front of this window. Usually you can see straight across the central hall, but at the moment it is blocked by the back of an enormous Anselm Kiefer painting that is on extended display, following his big show here last year.             

FLOATING

 

As mentioned, it is hard to get a clean shot at Art In Bloom, what with the crowds. This one worked, and it might be one of my favorites.                    

SOMETHING BAROQUE

 

Another from Art In Bloom at the St. Louis Art Museum (which has the wonderful URL slam.org). This is in a room of Baroque paintings; the one the floral arrangement is based on is off to the left of the frame.                 

ART IN BLOOM

 

I may need to stick with flowers until we head out of town late this week. This weekend brought us the annual Art In Bloom show at the St. Louis Art Museum. Top floral designers present pieces throughout the museum inspired by works in the collection. It gets crowded and hard to line up shots.                    

AGLOW

 

The view from one of the galleries toward the central hall of the St. Louis Art Museum’s central hall, as seen in Saturday’s post. This is one of five massive paintings that are part of the Anselm Kiefer show. The glittering highlights around the figure in the upper center and the words across the top are in gold leaf.           

BIRCHES AT THE MUSEUM

 

A carefully arranged grove of birch trees outside the entrance to the new wing of the St. Louis Art Museum.             

KIEFER IN THE HALL

 

Anselm Kiefer is a giant of contemporary German art. His first major U.S. museum show in 20 years is now at the St. Louis Art Museum. Five huge paintings flank the central hall, with many others in the galleries. He visited St. Louis a number of years ago and some of the work refers to the Mississippi or the Rhein. We’ve going to a walk-through with a docent today.              

LOUIS IN THE MIST

 

Granddaughter Ellie’s history class has been talking about ancient Egypt and she wanted to see the examples at the art museum. It was a dank, drizzly day so I stepped out the front door to see how le saint roi was faring. He was impassive.              

NO AURORA, BUT . . .

 

Some people got really good northern lights photos around here Tuesday night. We were at home but, given the forecast, went out last night. Mrs. C, granddaughter Ellie and I headed to Art Hill, which has an unobstructed view to the north and not a lot of city lights. Nothing as of three hours after sunset. Ellie amused herself taking selfies in front of the statue of the Big Guy, and then rolling down the hill on her side over and over.                  

FROM AN AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER

Ever heard of a car manufacturer named Viosin? They made airplanes in France from 1905 to 1946. The company dabbled in automobiles and created this model in 1936. Its lines reflect the company’s main business. That hood ornament, however, could tear someone open.     

ALFA PREDATOR

Another from the Roaring exhibition. This is a 1930 Alfa Romeo racing car. Depending on the engine option, it was capable of 103-110 mph / 168-177 kph. No roll bar or seat belts, let alone air bags. Why bother with headlights? I wonder about the injury or fatality rate of the drivers.               

FINE ART AND A 1928 CITRÖEN

I’m sticking with some of the wonderful cars at the art museum’s Roaring show until something better comes along. This is a 1928 Citroën, repainted by the contemporary Dutch artist, Bernadette Ramaekers. It is said to be in the style of Sonia Delaunay. Some of the visitors around me pronouced the name of the make as sih-TRONE. We don’t have umlauts in English. 

ROARING

Yesterday, we went to a show at the Saint Louis Art Museum called Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918–1939. There was a stunning combination of cars and clothing. This is a 1939 Buggati, a wedding present for the Shah of Iran and his Egyptian bride for their nuptials in Cairo (hence the Arabic numerals). The reflections on the fenders are from the skylights in the ceiling.

And happy birthday to Mrs. C (b. 1944 and going strong).

                     

DECK THE HALL

A simple but striking floral ornament in the central great hall of St. Louis Art Museum. We can’t see the details when zoomed out to get all of it, but the blossoms are delicately and subtlety woven into the greens.

Hoping to shoot our big St. Patrick’s Day Parade today. However, as I write this early Friday evening, we are expecting severe thunderstorms and likely tornadoes later tonight. Mrs. C and I are topping up our phone chargers. Hope it doesn’t affect the parade.  

Oh, and beware the Ides of March.                  

BLUE RIBBON

 

Far be it from me to pass judgment on floral arrangements. This one was awarded first prize at Art In Bloom. I like the fact that its gallery has windows overlooking the museum’s central great hall. The painting the arrangement refers to is on the opposite wall, https://www.slam.org/collection/objects/1449/ .