Tradition has it that we leave one place outstanding for the morning we’ve packed and checked out of the hotel and in Boston, that usually means a stroll up to the Museum of Fine Arts, one of our all-time favourites.
Today was no exception and we were able to get there just before it opened, in time to take a photograph of what I now think of as Jordi’s Native American!
The first eyecatching exhibit was…well, of course, it ought to have been that enormous reproduction of one of the Degas Nudes but actually, it was Dale Chiluly’s Lime Green Icicle Tower!
Positioned in the new atrium area of the museum, where it catches the light and everyone’s attention, it is a truly magnificent piece.
It invites a closer look, of course and the glass shimmers in both natural sunshine and the spotlights which feature it.
The reflections in the highly polished base are interesting too.
After that little excitement, I’m sorry to say that we didn’t really take the Degas exhibition to our hearts – something about the voyeuristic nature of his work, most probably. Stunning pastels and of course, wonderful observations. But ultimately, we both felt that the process was more captivating than the product – especially the monotype prints where he had begun with a completely black inked plate and worked backwards, as it were. I also love his quickly formed sculptures of the dancers, standing in awkward poses and admire the fine lines of the body, the solid stance and slightly unfinished nature of the things. So, we brought away a few positive thoughts and left the bulk of the sketches of brothels behind…
For a while, we pottered about visiting our favourites. The black and white photography of the 1930s, the Tiffany glass, the delightful portraits of the “Boston School” and the large Singer Sargeant portraits which we both love to see every time we come here.
Of course, there is always the chance for an unexpected delight and standing in front of a pair of black double doors, we wondered if we should go in. What was in there? The Clock? Christian who? Marclay? Never heard of him…
The decision to allow our curiosity to take over was the best one of the morning! Probably all you tuned in, culturally aware readers will have known all about this from the BBC News report from this time last year. We knew nothing. this had completely passed us by.
(If the embedded YouTube video of a BBC news report doesn't seem to be working, Click here)
We sat and watched, not realising at first that the time in the film was the actual time but as it gradually dawned on us that we were watching something in real time, both of us became rather anxious about what might happen at noon, which was rapidly approaching. But 12 o’clock came and went and still we sat, captivated by the whole experience, the emotional roller coaster, the nostalgia of seeing familiar faces and clips from films we recognised. Eventually, we had to summon up our senses and leave…because we could have stayed there for hours.
(If this embedded video doesn't seem to be working, you can watch a clip of the Clock here)
As it happens, this is part of the piece we saw – Colin Firth appearing twice and Steed looking terribly young. These three minutes give a good impression, I think and perhaps offer some kind of explanation as to why we found ourselves returning to the subject time and again for the rest of the day.
Marvellous.
But it really was time for us to go. We returned to our favourite Legal Seafoods and enjoyed a late lunch before going to the airport and checking in for our flight home. Quite what lies in store for us tomorrow, with the strikes and all manner of chaos threatened in the immigration hall, who knows? Hopefully, the stars will be in alignment, the wind in the right direction and we’ll sail through.
Fingers crossed.
