Where The Art Is

July 1, 2011

Today, for perhaps the first time in 20 years of marriage, I awoke and actually got up before my early bird husband.  Jet lag has caught up with Sam and the boys but I am surprisingly fresh and ready to go.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I know we are headed to the Scottish National Gallery  today.  First, some clothes needed to be bought for Thomas as his suitcase had still not arrived.  He was tired any anyone would be of wearing the same clothes for going on day 3.  We head down Princes Street and after purchasing some fresh clothes we find The National Gallery at the foot of Castle Hill.

What I first noticed and liked about the museum was that it is not so large and admission is free!  I quickly begin hurrying through the galleries for fear that I would not be able to see everything before the kids became bored.  My son Will finally told me to slow down because he wanted to take everything in.  The kids are definitely not 5 years old any more.  A sampling of the highlights were: Barye bronzes, Vermeer's Christ at the home of Mary and Martha, Rembrandt's self-portrait, other Dutch Masters, Diego Velasquez, and many many Scottish and British artists.  These walls also housed some of the largest oil paintings I have ever seen.  The security staff at the museum was plentiful but friendly; watching you but not being overbearing.  I jot down names of some artist I like but am unfamiliar with (now I cannot lay hands on the paper.)

Christ in the house of Martha and Mary
by Johannes Vermeer

Old Woman Cooking Eggs
by Diego Velazquez

My son Thomas sat on a plush sofa in one gallery and inconspicuously fell asleep.  He is the artistic one and while he was impressed with what he was seeing I know it's difficult to take in and put all this art from another time into any kind of meaningful context.  I had no art classes in college but a PhD in sociology is perhaps the perfect springboard for understanding the backdrop under which much of this art was created.  The art that my son Thomas creates is on the other end of the spectrum.  Homegrown skateboard expressionism that is edgy, graffitied, and streetsmart.  Is there any sort of meeting ground between that and portraits of British Nobility who had money to burn?

We ascend to the second floor to see the impressionists.  I round the corner and instantly recognize Monet and Gaugin.  The hair on my arms begins to stand up and I stand there shaking my head.  Wow, there it is, this is it, I've seen these images in books, prints and on the internet but this is the real deal.  I'm in heaven!

View of the Sermon
by Paul Gauguin

Going back downstairs we crisscross the first floor to see the final upstairs gallery which was religious medieval art.  I sense that Thomas is growing a bit weary.  One of the first pieces we view is a DaVinci of the Madonna and Christ Child.  I grab Thomas' elbow and lead him over to the painting and mention the movie "The DaVinci Code" and how this is the same artist who did The Mona Lisa.  I can see a light bulb in his head switch on as suddenly he is now curious about the artist and the painting.  At the next room we view medieval  religious triptychs and I manage to hold his attention long enough to explain how folks back in Medieval Times couldn't read much less own a bible and this is how the church communicated bible stories to the masses.  I quickly explain the similarities to African American folk artist Elijah Pierce a Columbus Ohio artist who carved wooden panels to depict bible stories to help reveal the bible to African Americans that in the early part of the 20th century may not have been able to read.

The Scottish National Gallery is of a manageable size for touring.  We spent maybe 2 1/2 hours there and emerged inspired and refreshed.  With patience, it is even possible to take a reluctant teenager if you keep your eyes wide open and think outside of what could be the stuffy art museum box. As an art dealer it is so important to take a step back and view art in this carefully curated context rather than in the heat of an auction competing with other dealers to (hopefully) gain what I want.  Whereas I cannot afford Valasquez and DaVinci, visiting this museum reminds me to keep the standards for what I buy high.  If you visit The Scottish National Gallery bear in mind that there is also The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, as well as other exhibition sites that are part of The National Galleries of Scotland.  More information is at www.nationalgalleries.org.

Thomas Skateboarding
Orkney Islands

Elijah Pierce
Crucifixion
mid 1930s