writingaboutpaintings

When I had to remove the Louvre and the British Museum from this list, I knew that I am finally officially qualified as what one of my friend used to call me, ‘Grace the Museum Eater’. I have been travelling alot during my pre-covid years, and most of the time, I would prefer to travel solo because I know that the majority of most people are not as obsessed as I am about museums.

My latest saga with the musuem was recently in Rome, where I was waiting for a friend to arrive from Colombia ,and had the free day to myself. I took a walk on the streets of Rome for 45 minutes in the cold to visit Gustav Klimt’s exhibition at the Palazzo Braschi near Piazza Navona. Much to my dismay, the tickets were sold out. I have never seen anything sold out since they started selling Hello Kitty merchandise at Macdonald’s. Nevertheless, visiting exhibitions has become almost ritualistic, and I usually refuse to end any trip without visiting at least one museum or temporary exhibitions. I have to say then, that most of my holiday experiences are each defined by a particular museum experience. These are the top 10 museums that completely shaped my travelling experience in the last decade of my life.

1. Galleria Borghese, Rome

In 2016, I had an incident not unlike the one I had with my unlucky visit to the Klimt exhibition. I was waiting for another friend to arrive in Rome, and had the day to myself to spend as I wanted. After taking the longest walk in my life to get to the Galleria Borghese, I found out upon arrival that one needs to pre-purchase the tickets for entry. Unfortunately, I did not get to return to the Galleria Borghese in that trip. I guess that is the problem of the travelling style I have. Instead of planning meticulously for anything, I prefer to go where the wind takes me. I only got lucky in 2017 when I returned to the city and managed to pre-book online, having learnt the lesson from the prior year. I have to say that I was delighted that I went. Upon entrance , I was greeted by a sumptuous visual feast, beginning by a wonderful ceiling painting by Mariano Rossi, flanked by all the amazing sculptures against the luxurious marble backdrop. Not as imposing as the Vatican museum, the relatively small scale of the museum made the visual extravaganza that greeted someone still manageable. Believe me, some museums like the Vatican museum can greatly overwhelm. Some of the highlights found here are definitely Bernini’s David , Apollo and Daphne, Caravaggio’s Madonna dei Palafrenieri and Canova’s Paola Borghese as Venus Victrix. One can also enjoy the Borghese Gardens after the visit to the Galleria. Not unlike Hyde park in London, the lake is filled with swans and a temple to a thermal Greek god, Aesculapius. I have to say that a day spent at the Borghese Gallery and Borghese Gardens is just freaking perfect.

2. Musee D’orsay, Paris

I have always been partial to art movements that belong to before the 20th century. But if I had to choose my favourite modern art movement , it would be hands down Impressionism. The movement is close to my heart because I had my first acrylic painting class copying impressionist paintings, and always enjoyed how light was always depicted in changing conditions. Impressionism was my own personal path to understanding acrylic painting, and also was part of my own official initiation into an art world. I actually prefer this museum to the monumental Louvre for its extensive collection of Impressionist paintings rather than the Louvre even though the museum is world famous and actually houses my favourite painting of all time – the Nike of Samothrace. This museum, built in a former railway station also houses other great masterpieces from the modern period. Sad to say, my visit there was more than ten years ago and this visit is just a distant memory now.

3. Vatican Museum (Rome)

I first came to Rome in 2009 for the first time and fell in love with the city right away. The Vatican Museums was the first on my list as I had yet to discover the Eternal City, so the main attractions of Rome were my first priority then. It has been said that if anyone were to spend three minutes on a single item in the museum, they would need to spend twelve years in the there. As mentioned in the previous post , it was visually overwhelming, and I felt like I was drowning in a sea of beautiful, intricate, priceless sea of artworks that stretched from the floor all the way to the ceiling. There was no way for the eyes to have a little reprieve from the aesthetic bombardment. I mean this all in a good way, but there is certainly a sense of dizzy wonderment when the tour is completed. From the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, I really don’t need to justify why this is plainly one of the best museums in the world. My only tip would be to fill your stomachs and make sure you have comfortable footwear on before enjoying the Vatican in it’s full glory.

After visiting the museum, I made my way to the Trevi fountain to see the massive sculpture cum fountain fixture. I met a random Italian man called Antonio who offered to take pictures for me. Unfortunately, the dude began to follow me around and offered to give me a tour of the entire city of Rome. That was my first brush with the legendary Italian casanovas who seek short term romantic opportunities with tourists. Thanks, but no thanks. Because I was a coward (and still am), I told him to leave me his email address and never got back to him. I am grateful for the mini tour he did give me while we had our short conversation, though.

4. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

My little adventure to Slovakia brought me to a day trip to Vienna on a bus. On our flight from Bristol to Bratislava, we met an English man on the plane who gleefully asked us if we ever saw the film Hostel, a show that was set in Slovakia about backpackers who were kidnapped and brutally murdered on their holiday to Slovakia. Sounds kind of familiar doesn’t it? From Slovakia, I took a bus into Vienna on a Sunday when everything else was closed, but fortunately for me, the museum wasn’t. My friend and I parted ways after we visited the beautiful St Stephen’s Cathedral. I first saw this cathedral on television when Sarah Brightman held a concert in this magical place. I don’t really approve of having a concert held in a sacred location, but have to admit that the musical performance was gorgeous, thanks to the setting. My friend wanted to check out the opera, and I headed straight to the Kunsthistoriches. The museum was massive and one probably needed at least three full days to fully take in, as the building housed an impressive collection of Renaissance and Baroque art. One work I never forgot from this museum visit was Canova’s Theseus defeats the Centaur that was proudly perched on the magnificent staircase of the museum.

The Kunsthistorisches also boasts of the finest selection of Pieter Brueghel the Elder’s oeuvre. His Tower of Babel demonstrates incredibly intricate attention to detail , with the entire city represented with the smallest details. After my museum adventure, I had a minor heart attack where I got lost in the city and couldn’t find my friend and had no data connection. I was also completely in need to answer the call of nature and all lavatories were closed. I don’t really think that people magically stop needing to go to the loo when after office hours?!? Desperate, I found the nearest MacDonald’s and queued up to buy a drink for the sole purpose of using their lavatory. While in the queue, one of the staff was eyeing me up in a very strange way. I avoided his gaze while I continue to queue at another counter he was not at. My turn came and I asked to use the toilet. Guess what? the lady serving me told the exact person who was eyeing me in a weird way to accompany me with the key. Luckily for me, all he asked me was where I was from and if I had a cigarette. Fortunately, nothing happened to me that was on the scale of Hostel, but it was mildly terrifying to say the least. I finally found my friend when it was dusk, and gave her the biggest hug I could muster. Then we made our way back to Bratislava, safe and sound.

5. Uffizi (Florence)

It was a tough call between the Uffizi and the Galleria dell’Accademia and to be honest, I am spoilt for choice. However, in view of the fact that the Galleria dell’Accademia has only one main attraction found in Michelangelo’s David, I am going to lean onto the Uffizi for the wide range of Italian artists featured here. Despite the amazing range featured here, it is definitely possible to finish visiting the Uffizi in one day. The museum boasts of a great collection of Medieval , Renaissance and Baroque art, but I have to say that Sandro Botticelli’s Spring and The Birth of Venus are two of the artworks that cannot be missed, as they represent the pinnacle of the Florentine Renaissance. Signor Botticelli is definitely the star of the museum despite being surrounded by so many art heavyweights.

Quick tip: I had the shortest relationship ever in my life. This museum visit was with my whirlwind romance who had zero interest in art. I love questions about art though, the question he posed to me was why some art pieces are more famous than others. Why do some artworks deserve prime position in the museum, while some others are deemed as worthless? Seemed like a simple question, but it was a stimulating one as I racked my brains for all the possibilities(Thank you to Mr Whirlwind Romance, I have got myself another blog post idea). I spent the day explaining my opinion while we went through the Uffizi, which made my attempts at explaining way easier as we were surrounded by so many examples.

Mr Whirlwind Romance later brought me to this quaint shop for panini right outside the museum to grab a quick bite. The queue was super long, but the staff were very efficient. Soon it was our time to select the panini (all poetically named), from La Dante to L’inferno, probably inspired by the great Florentine poet , Dante Alighieri and his greatest masterpiece, Inferno. I have to say that the sandwiches were masterpieces themselves and totally lived up to their names. The both of us walked away with our purchase and stood outside the Uffizi near a bin and finished our sandwiches in a heartbeat. ‘In a heartbeat’ seemed to be the theme for this trip though. How fast our relationship started, how quickly it ended , as well as all things big and small that happened in between. It’s ok though. I like to live life dangerously.

6. El Prado, Madrid

In 2014, my final dissertation brought me to Madrid as I was doing my final dissertation on on Spanish baroque master, Francisco di Zurbaran. I recall writing to the archival department of the Prado and turned up there to collect my resources. Much to my dismay, no one could speak a single word of English. Amazingly enough, they understood my broken Italian and I soon scurried away to the main museum with my precious material in hand.

I was there with a cheeky friend and we noted how the policemen around us were all incredibly good-looking. (Yes, I am not partial to beauty only found in the museum.) We arrived at the entrance of the Prado, and my friend said if I were to go up to a policeman who was standing at the entrance of the Prado to ask where the Prado was, she would give me five euros. Jokes aside, the museum was imposing and a single trip was not going to allow me to do the museum justice. I was lucky enough to be able to afford the time , and had a few days to take in everything. Many amazing Spanish masters were featured, and Spanish art really gave me a different feeling altogether in comparison to Italian art. Yes they shared some similar characteristics, but I found Spanish art to be way darker in spirit, more introspective, authentic almost to the point of being non-frivolous and way less concerned on the idea of beauty. This type of aesthetic really speaks to me because I find it more genuine and less pretentious. I also always believed I had a dark side and I really appreciate the darker palettes and themes of the Spaniards. It would be difficult to discuss a few artworks that are worthy though, as there were too many. El Museo hosts masterpieces from Francisco Goya, El Greco , Diego Velasquez, Jusepe de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbaran among other non Spanish masters such as Rembrandt , Titian etc. El Prado is indeed a wonderful gem of a museum that features a great variety of European art but most of all, it holds a great collection that embodies the spirit of Spanish aesthetic.

7. National Gallery London

Studying in the UK had its perks. I would frequently take the National Express down to London from Bristol, and head down to Trafalgar Square. The National Gallery allows free admission, and I went as part of visits with my University, but also on an recreational basis. It was a joy to be able to enjoy free access to this museum as a student on multiple occasions as there is an electic mix of artworks from the thirteenth to the twentieth century which allowed one to be able to take in all the art from multiple visits, and hence be able to properly assess and analyse the exhibits. Some of the paintings that I continually returned to view were Jan van Eyck’s enigmatic Arnolfini Portrait, Hans Holbein the Younger’s The Ambassadors as well as Velasquez’s Rockeby Venus, which were repeatedly cited in materials for my course modules. It was always a joy to be able to visit the gallery, and then be able to stroll around Trafalgar Square. To finish my day out , I would always end it with purchasing my favourite Italian Prosciutto sandwich from Pret a Manger. Pure icing on the cake.

8. Acropolis Museum, Athens

I went to amazing Greece in 2011 when the museum was spanking new as it just opened two years back. The brand new museum overlooked the Parthenon and offered a sharp contrast from the antique beauty that surrounded the museum. Transparent and covered in glass, one is given access to the nearby Parthenon from the museum without visual barrier, and gets to take in the ancient view through a contemporary perspective. These glass walls also granted the viewer to behold the artefacts as they were seen in ancient times with natural light of the outdoor setting. The glass material, accompanied by concrete and marble, was visualised based on the beauty of simplicity and were the perfect materials for a contemporary ‘temple’ of art amongst her ancient predecessors.  Hence, in echoing the beauty of contemporary minimalism but also classical simplicity, the museum is a magical space that unites the ancient with the current. This trip was took place very long ago, but it was the most unforgettable one I had. I was fortunate enough to be able to see other sections of the Parthenon in the British Museum, namely the Elgin Marbles and I do not deny that I wish the Elgin Marbles would return to their father land one day.

9. Picasso Museum (Barcelona)

To be honest, I never thought much of Picasso or understood the full extend of his ingenuity until I visited the Picasso Museum in 2017. The museum, which was opened to the public in 1963, was the first ever museum dedicated to the Spanish Cubist and is very much worth a visit. Dreamed up by Picasso’s longtime friend, Jaume Sarbates, he decided to open the place for public viewing after having accumulated many works from his artist friend. The city of Barcelona itself was close to the heart of the Malaga born painter due to his move there with his family where he was young. Picasso was also actually the one who suggested Barcelona to be the location of his first museum.

The extended series of Picasso’s rendition of Diego Velasquez’s Las Meninas was absolutely unforgettable. As the artist once famously said, bad artists copy, good artists steal. He completely reworked the iconic painting by his predecessor and completely owned it. This reworked series was an attempt to confront with one of the most important works in the history of Spanish painting as well as a commentary on contemporary events in Spain, observed by Picasso from his exile in France. To be honest , I am seldom impressed by artworks of reinterpretation. This series, however , allowed me to see the full extent of Picasso’s ingenuity. As someone who always found Picasso’s style quite difficult to relate to, it was only here that I was able to grasp the evolution of his style fully by walking through the museum which was helpfully arranged in chronological order. In retrospective, the museum in general, as an institution is there to educate. I have to say that it was in this visit to the modest museum that I particularly that aim was achieved in my education of Picasso.

10. Pergamon, Berlin

The amazing Pergamon is found on Museum Island. The name ‘Museum Island’ itself highly excited the Grace the Museum Eater. The place was named after the majestic Pergamon Altar, which is widely regarded to be the very pinnacle of Greek Hellenistic Art. It was first discovered in Turkey and subsequently shipped to Berlin to be restored in the 1900s. The Pergamon Altar hence shares the same sad fate as the Elgin Marbles, where both artefacts have been moved out of their places of origin. The Pergamon Altar is accompanied by other foreign masterpieces, such as Processional Gate of Babylon, the Ishtar Gate as well as particularly astounding array of Islamic Art.

Other highlights include an exhibition that focused on the changing natural light conditions at the ancient city of Pergamon, as well as a 3D panoramic view of ancient Greece. I thoroughly enjoyed the virtual experience of being in antiquity aided by the 360 degree view of the city, where the people and landscape were so faithfully rendered , that even the time of day was accurately depicted. It was very nice to be able to understand what it was like to be in Ancient Greece, and to imagine soaking in the warm Mediterranean sun as the shadows move across the organic curves of various sculptures of gods and goddesses while day turns to night. It completely brought the museum experience to a whole new level.