_museum _
By: Keith Holland
MUSEUM TRIP When this project was brought to my attention at the beginning of
the semester I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know much about the
history of art or any of the specific terms that are used in the art world. I
have been to museums in the past but that was when I was in elementary school
and they didn't teach us any of the specific terms that they used in the art
world. On the handout that you gave the class you wrote questions that you
though would be helpful for us to answer to succeed on this paper. The museum
that I decided to go to was the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. In
the following paper I will discuss what the museum looked like, the tour that
I went on. What I thought of the tour, the pieces of art in the tour. How I
felt while I was in the museum and the discovery that I found out about myself
about the type of art that catches my attentionWhen I arrived at the
National Gallery of Art, the outside structure of the building took my breath
away. From outside looking at the museum its size just astonished me. The big
tall granite columns and the granite steps reminded me of ancient Greek
architecture. Once I made it up the marble staircase I finally arrived inside
the museum. When I got inside the museum I had entered from the back and I had
to walk to the information desk. On my way to the information desk I look
around the museum to se if anything on that floor caught my eye. The statue in
the middle of the museum caught my I because it was a beautiful fountain and
the sound of the water coming out of the statue made me think that it was
beautiful. After looking at the fountain I made my way to the information desk
to get a map and a list of the tours that were going on that day. I looked
over the list and decided to go on the John Singer Sargent tour
When I
arrived at the National Gallery of Art there where a lot of different tours
that I could have went on. I decided that I wanted to go on the John Singer
Sargent Tour because I had read about him and some of his works while doing my
clipping collection. I also wanted to see some of his work because they were
pictured in the Baltimore Sun. The paintings that were in the Baltimore Sun
that I actually got to see up close was the Madame X and Carnation, Lily,
Lily, Rose. These two paintings in the sun were just black and white photos
but in the museum their beauty was unbelievable and also there size was
impressive. I had to wait in line for about 40 minutes before the tour started
and it lasted about an hour I'd say. The first painting that you see when you
are on the tour is the Madame X. Madame X is probably the painting that
Sargent is most famous for. In the painting Madame Gautreau stance and
provocative dress were thought to be eccentric and astonishing. Madame
Gautreau mother wanted Sargent to take out of his show because she thought
that the painting was to provocative. The other painting that was in the
Baltimore Sun that I saw was Carnation, Lily, Lily, Rose. This painting was
Sargents masterpiece, during the period of art know as impressionism. He
captured the effect of twilight with the artificial light of candle lanterns
as the light reflected off the faces of the two children in this painting.
There were more paintings that were on this tour but the one's I talked about
were the ones that I was most interested in. Some of the other pieces of art
that were on display were Fumee d'ambre gris (1880), Sortie de l'egilse(1882),
The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit(1882), Enna and Betty, Daughters of Asher
and Mrs. Wertheimer(1901), Lord Ribblesdale(1902), On the Grand Canal(1907),
Palmettos(1917), Two Girls in White Dresses(1909-1911)and Nonchaloir(1911).
Overall I thought that the tour was very informative and also beautiful. I
like for the most part all of Sargent's paintings
After the tour was over I
proceeded to walk around the rest of the museum. I came about all types of art
that I really didn't like. I came across some biblical paintings and they just
didn't do anything for me. I also came across portraits of some of the
presidents. They were okay but they just didn't have the beauty that I was
looking for. I later found the beauty that I was looking for when I came
across a room in the museum that was filled with landscape paintings. I guess
I figured out then that, that was the type of art that I like. I also came to
thinking this because I love to be outside all year round. I just love nature
and all that Mother Nature has to offer
In conclusion I had a very good time
at the museum. Since it was the first time I have been as an adult I expected
a lot from the museum and the museum did a fine job in performing up to my
expectations and even more. At first in the museum I didn't feel real
comfortable because I didn't really know what to expect. But as the time
passed while I was in the museum I did grow more comfortable and by the time I
left I felt pretty good about myself because I had learned a lot in class and
didn't feel like an idiot like I thought I would. In the handout you asked the
question would you go to a museum again if it weren't mandatory? Well at the
beginning of the semester I would have told you not in a million years but now
I would have to tell you that I would. I had a really good experience because
I know about the types of art in the museum and also some of the pieces I had
already actually seen.
Word Count: 1034
