Guten Tag!
Coming in from the lovely city of Frankfurt, Germany.I spent the past 3 days with the most wonderful German hosts, the Krakau family. They showed me all around their beautiful city and the countryside by the Rhein river. All I must say is Germany may be the “greenest” place I have ever been, both technologically and foliage. Both solar panels and forests are abundant, making for a rather pleasant environment.
The museums along the far bank of the Main were incredible, with the crowning jewel of the Stådel (wrong å symbol but I can’t seem to find it on my keyboard) being an incredible spread of art that is one of the finest in the world. The Impressionist collection was breathtaking, bringing to light the amazing talent that Monet, Manet, Renior, and Degas possessed. Here are my reflections for the paintings:
“Orchestra Musicians” – Degas
This piece was interesting because although it is regarded as quite famous, it was not gathering the crowd that the other famous pieces were. This allowed me to spend more time at it. It was particularly interesting as it depicts a dancing show in the background with orchestral musicians the foreground. You do not typically think of the musicians being the foreground of a painting as they are usually only the supporting cast. But these musicians are focused and seemingly invested in their roles. I really read this as a reminder that you must remember that there is always more work being put into a production than what is visible on the surface. The audience will only really appreciate the dancer, however the musicians are putting in equally admirable effort that should be recognized but is normally not.
“The Luncheon” – Monet
Monet, the master impressionist, was the center of attention in the stådel. This particular work I found to be very relaxing, and a bit of a contradiction to the seeming ethos of Frankfurt. Being the financial center of Europe, Frankfurt is a bustling, constantly growing town that moves very quickly. This painting is a contradiction to that by depicting a relaxed lunch session, with wine, bread, and grapes, and people arriving at their own pace. A child sits playing with a toy, and the food is unguarded. It emits a sense of calm, saying that you must remember that most everything is fixable and nothing is worth worrying too much about. When planning all of this I would sometimes stress out over this, school, friends, and other pressures. Art has been a refuge from my concerns, and paintings like these really embody that.
“A Game of Croquet” – Manet
This impressionist work was another painting that I find to be incredibly relaxing, bringing me back to home. When I was younger croquet was a favorite game of our family’s, and many a spring and summer afternoon were spent playing on our lawn. The man lounging while wearing nice clothing embodies that even if you are looking nice, have important things to do, or places to go, it is for your own sake, equally as important to take time to relax and forget about the world.
But now I have arranged a quick stop off in Barcelona for a couple days to visit with my dog who has been working there for a couple years now (seeing eye dog). On to Spain!
Currently listening to:
Red Solo Cup – Toby Keith