Istanbul : Prague : Vienna : Trieste & Milan : Stresa : Switzerland : Art
Here I list the museums I visited and paintings that caught my eye. These are primarily notes to myself. Most museums now have very good websites where you can browse their collections. They will have far nicer photographs of the paintings than I have below.
Museum of Art & History: (MAH): Geneva
This is a nice old building with an interesting collection, good for a rainy afternoon. I was delighted to find an Alice Bailly and the painting I have listed below. It has a very frustrating website though which did not make it possible for me to trace the artist and title. Website
Jenisch Museum: Vervey.
A nice little collection in a building near the station making it easily accessible. They received a large donation of Ferdinand Hodler paintings a few years ago, hence a whole room of Valentine on her death bed. They also have several Oscar Kokoschkas paintings I was keen to see them as I don’t know the artist, but I didn’t like them and preferred those I saw in Albertina museum in Vienna, but I am still not a fan. Website
Kunsthistorische Museum:Vienna
Great. I would love to visit again to do it justice. So lucky to see the Vermeer which was not going to be at the exhibition in Amsterdam. They also have a great website with floor plan where you can browse the collection room by room. We only saw the paintings. Lots more to see here. Had an interesting exhibition of modern nudes mixed in with old paintings. Also started noticing heads chopped off; lots of Salome &John the Baptist and Judith & Holofernes. What I wondered attracted artists to this subject? Website
The Belvedere, Vienna
Fantastic venue. Collection at Upper Belvedere mixed and interesting. Saw first Kiki Kogelnik, had never heard of her. Also another painting by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. I so like his Lake Keitele in National gallery in London.
Fantastic Klimt exhibition at Lower Belvedere. We were so lucky to catch it. You can read more about it here. Was interested to see Jan Toorop in very different style and a nice Edvard Munch. I only know The Scream, but he did tranquil landscapes too and in Bern I saw a portrait of children. Website
Albertina Museum, Vienna
Another museum I would like to spend more time in. Lots of artists whose names I did not recognize. Would also like to visit its contemporary collection. Had a fairly nice van Gogh exhibit. Really liked 2 lino cut prints and Woman in Green hat. Batliner collection seems mainstay of their painting collection. Website
Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan
Great collection of Renaissance paintings. Really lovely and well displayed. It includes 2 glorious triptychs by Carla Crivelli. Later periods not so impressive (maybe I was saturated) but some nice Canalettos and lots of Heyez whom I had never heard of before. The kiss most popular. Novel way of displaying items of modern art in hanging cages. Nice website too. Website
Modern Art Gallery (GAM): Milan.
A bit disappointed in this. Lots of 19th century Italian artists. Great if you like that period. Early or lesser works by big names. Did like a few works though including a series of series pictures of woman with “big” hair by Cezar Helleu. .Website
Triennale di Milano
Quite high entrance charge (no seniors discount) for what you get. Nevertheless rather fun to see the range of Italian design and some classics. Website
Kunstmuseum: Bern
Nice collection. Some interesting Vallottons and 2 Albert Ankers. Poor website though that does not make it possible for me to track details of paintings seen. Interesting that in Swiss galleries the local artists shown to advantage- maybe they don’t clean or restore international artists’ painting? Website.
Summary:
I think I need to go back to Vienna. Several museums there I did not explore and would like to spend more time in those I did see.
Vermeer exhibition: Rijks Museum : Amsterdam
The art highlight of my whole trip was visiting the Rijk’s museum in Amsterdam to see the Vermeer exhibition. I did this on the last day of my trip, leaving Geneva very early to catch an Easy jet flight to Amsterdam; dashing to the Rjiks by bus after leaving my bag at the airport and getting to the Rijks in time for my 1.15 time slot. I was pleased that they allowed me in a bit early.
It was crowded as I had been warned. About 20people at a time clustered around each painting, but the crowds were well mannered. We took turns to shuffle forward and stare at the painting, take our pics and move along after our 30secs in the front row.
The exhibition was also very well presented with the paintings well-spaced and grouped by themes. Interesting interpretative commentaries were written on the walls to accompany each grouping. In the last gallery was a time line of his work, including the paintings not in the exhibition.
The exhibition contained 28 of his known 37 paintings. I had seen the Art of painting in Vienna. The girl with the pearl earring was also not there, but I had seen it last year at The Mauritzhuis in Den Haag . The painting that that I was delighted to see was The milkmaid which I had missed last year. It is lovely.
My favourites? It is difficult to choose, but I really liked the serene beauty, especially the sky, of The view of Delft which I had seen last year too at the Mauritzhuis. I also liked the pictures of the woman in the yellow jacket with ermine trim and pearls in her hair. The painting I found rather disturbing was the one of the large cavalier forcing a glass of wine on a young girl. I liked the serene beauty of the woman in the blue jacket reading the letter at a window. Surely she is pregnant and this is a letter from her husband who is away? None of the interpretations I have read seem to mention that she is pregnant though. That is the beauty of Vermeer, you are drawn into the intimate world of his figures. A moment in their lives captured to tantalize us. Also technically, the way he captures the light is a delight to observe.
My pictures from the exhibition are terrible. Please visit the Rijks museum website which has lots about the exhibition (which has now closed), and this artist.
2023 Trip to Europe – Art Gallery
