AD 79 excavation from Pompeii

 This style of fresco decoration is actually Greek which the ancient Roman copied and it can be found in almost all Roman villas. Panels found in the New York Metropolitan museum came from a villa in the gulf of Naples. It was found on private property and was buried by the ashes coming out from Mt Vesuvius when it blew its top in AD79. Most of the villa came to the New York Met, the rest went to the Naples museum. I've seen those at the museum in Naples, they don't look as good as the ones here at the New York Met.

 There was enough panels to fill a three sided room.

 Talk about Pompeiian red, this is the true Pompeiian red, this has been restored and it looked absolutely glorious.

They found inscriptions in this villa, 'Agrippa Postumus' the son of Marcus Agrippa. It is believed that this villa could have belonged to Marcus Agrippa and on his death passed on to his son, Postumus.

Ladies in blue

I said to myself, 'I want to go to Crete to see the original, this thing hanging at the New York Met is only a copy. Upon closer examination, I realized that only a few fragments actually exists, the rest is just an artist's imagination of what he thinks it might have looked like in its original state. From what he had seen of other frescoes in Greece, he thinks the few fragments might have looked like this. Very clever. The artist was Emile Gilleron and the year for this work, 1927.

Gustav Klimt in New York

 Mada Primavesi at the New York Metropolitan museum of art.

 Serena Lederer at the New York Metropolitan museum of art.

 MOMA

 Oops, this is an Egon Schiele, at MOMA.

MOMA. As a consolation for missing the 'dame in gold' I had to console myself with seeing other Gustav Klimt, both at the Metropolitan museum of art and at MOMA, museum of modern art! They were all wonderful. What an incredible experience! Egon Schiele was a protege of Klimt. I saw a lot of Egon Schiele at the Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain. I began to love his nudes. Klimt loved to paint women. He never painted them twice except for Adele Bloch-Bauer. I love both Bloch-Bauer, I'm partial, I think both of them were among his best works!

Adele Bloch-Bauer and Gustav Klimt

 The 'woman in gold', a way for Austria to hide the identity of the painting, a painting of the wife of a rich Jewish industrialist, whom he commissioned the Austrian artist, Gustav Klimt to paint. The family fled Austria leaving behind a houseful of paintings, jewelry and other valuable items. The Nazis and the curator of the Austrian Belvedere museum looted the house. All told five Klimts were taken to the Belvedere museum which claimed ownership for over 50 years. Finally they decided to return these paintings to the heirs of the Bloch-Bauer estate. But not after a long 8 year legal battle in which an unknown Los Angeles lawyer was involved, together with the elderly niece of Adele Bloch-Bauer. The paintings arrived in Los Angeles because Maria Altman, the niece of Adele Bloch-Bauer was living here since she fled Austria. Ronald Lauder (of Estee Lauder family) purchased the 'woman in gold' for US$135 million to be displayed at the Neue gallery in New York. So the painting went by a very very secured truck to New York where it is now. One of the conditions of the sale was this painting must be viewed by the public. I missed seeing the painting because the day I was there, the Neue gallery was closed. The other 4 Klimts went into private collection, their sale totaled US$192 million.

Gustav Klimt never painted his women twice except for Adele Bloch-Bauer. There was a second Adele Bloch-Bauer that was sold to a private collector for US$88 million! This is her! She is now on long term loan to the New York Museum of modern art (MOMA). And I'm pleased to say, I saw her and took this picture of her. Wow!
I just came back from seeing the movie 'woman in gold'. The critics didn't like the movie but there was not a dry eye in the cinema, everyone was crying! The lawyer, Randol Schoenberg, wrote the screenplay even as he fought the case. His ancestry is also Austrian, his grandfather was a famous Austrian composer.

I forgot where I was

 The New York Metropolitan museum of art has some wonderful exhibits. I was very surprised. The setting is also so beautiful, it opens into Central Park. For a moment I forgot where I was. I thought I was in Europe somewhere, these are the same kind of exhibits you would see at a major museum in Europe.

 This is a Rodin.

A few exquisite Faberge eggs. Wow, what a cultural feast! More to come....

Ethiopian Coptic art at the New York Metropolitan museum of art

I've always Ethiopian Christian art but still don't know much about it. I hope to go to Ethiopia soon to learn more.

Roman and Greek sculptures at the NY Metropolitan museum

 This is Bernini's Priapus. There is a similar one in the garden at Gallerie Borghese in Rome.

 A bust of Julius Caesar.

Oh Venus, perfect and beautiful.
I was amazed at the huge collection of ancient artifacts. I read somewhere that during Pax Romana, every Roman citizen built fancy villas and decorated them with sculptures. There were so much that anywhere you dig, you'll be sure to find a bust of someone. The English travelers of the 'Grand Tour', each took back enormous quantities and here at the New York Met, there were rooms full of ancient Roman sculptures. The New York Metropolitan museum of art ranks among the best museums in the world. I was a little surprised. It was wonderful to be there and for a moment I forgot where I was, I thought I was in  a museum in Europe.

Easter and Passover

This is a very meaningful time for us Christians and Jews as we celebrate Easter and Passover. Passover is celebrated with the seder meal and the youngest is to ask, 'why are we celebrating this meal?' Imagine a commemoration that is thousands of years old. This is to remember the enslavement of the Jews in Egypt for 430 years and the night of their departure they were to smear the blood of the lamb on the lintels of the front door so that when the angel of death came that night, he will pass over them or else the first born of humans and animals would die. They eat matzo or unleavened bread because they left in haste and had no time to leaven their bread. We Christians believe that Jesus was that 'lamb' whose blood was shed once and forever! We share the same belief. I don't do Easter bunnies or chocolate eggs. I went to church yesterday, it being Maundy Thursday. Today is Good Friday and I will be in church again to reflect on the momentous meaning of the season.

New York Central park and the Met

 The iconic yellow cabs and the skyscrapers, so indicative of New York city. It was a chilly Spring morning as I walked to and into Central park.

 It was too early for the New York Metropolitan museum of art to be opened, so a whole bunch of us sat and waited outside. It was a busy day because of Spring break and every school kid seemed to be in town.

There was this long line of food carts parked in front of the Met. I bought a coffee and sat with everyone else and waited on the steps. I must say it was totally pleasant. I didn't know what I was going to do in New York city but I had a great time anyway, just being there. My last visit was 16 years ago.

New York

 Its no mistaking it, its New York city, all the iconic sights, the neon lights, the yellow taxis, the skyscrapers and Central Park. I was in New York! I only spent one whole day there but it was quite enough. I had fun!

 Here in Times Square, I was among the crowd outside the ABC studio during the taping of the Good Morning America show. They featured the winners of the show 'Dancing with the stars'. I didn't recognized who it was, I haven't watched the show for eons.

I stayed with my sister in New Jersey and early that morning I went with them into Manhatten, they went to work and I was left to wander New York city on my own. It was a very chilly morning, I had breakfast at Dean and Deluca, went over to Times Square, bought a newspaper and went to Central Park to read it. It was too early for anything to be opened.

New York, New York

I just arrived back from New York, took a day to visit the two major museums, the New York Metropolitan museum of art and the MOMA, museum of modern art. I spent some time with my sister in New Jersey. It took me longer to get there than the time I spent there. Anyway it was an excellent trip.