Chilled to the bone

Looking at the Rhododendron leaves in the garden, we can quickly judge how cold it is. Faster then looking up the weather app on the iPad!  This morning with temperatures of -20C they were curled like cigarettes and now - early afternoon - by the warmth of the sun they opened up somewhat.
More cold and the (long awaited) snow will come this weekend:  http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/snow-midwest-northeast-thursday-friday/40234992

With all the civilized world we feel icy even inside when hearing the news from the terror attack in Paris.

Where are the good and warming rays of empathy which will give hope to thaw the hearts?

New Year's reflections

One of the Buddha sculptures in the Yale Art Gallery in New Haven communicates to us, with his hands making the Abhaya mudra: "have no fear, peace, protection and benevolence".  Suitable to take to heart these days and for the coming months.

Our reason to travel to New Haven was to see the show "Roman in the Provinces".
http://artgallery.yale.edu/exhibitions/exhibition/roman-provinces-art-periphery-empire

This exhibition will travel to the McMullen at BC and can be visited there starting February 14.
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/avp/cas/artmuseum/

All over in Europe there are still Roman ruins and the cultures and languages are rooted in the Roman empire. Therefore this long gone empire is always fascinating to learn more about. The facts of human nature are surprisingly familiar even to us in the 21th Century.

This early Byzantine mosaic (ca 6th century BC), for example, with the personifications of Pleasure and Wealth as something to wish for is indeed still in our aspirations.  Apolau (pleasure) a beautiful women leaning and holding on to Plouto (wealth) who is a man spreading gold coins. A situation continuing to be familiar to us in modern times.

Just follow the list

Did you have a Merry Christmas with FUN?   If not, for the next Christmas (we will soon have one again) just follow this list, written down by our advisor Eva Mai:

We started with step one at the beginning of December, omitted step 4 and finished with step 8 today.

Now we are working on a list for the New Year 2015!

https://www.newyear.in/new-year-resolutions/

List or no list: Happy New Year, peace on earth and goodwill to all!

O Tannenbaum ...

In the rotunda of the MFA, the many lights of the traditional Christmas tree are both festive and shine on the illustrious Sargent murals.  If the symbolism of the figures is not easy to interpret, there is now a book in the bookstore, part of the MFA Spotlight series, which is a comprehensive guide to the murals and their surroundings.

The image above the tree and the first one that visitors see when walking up the great staircase symbolizes the role most museums have in allegorical form:

Athena, goddess of wisdom shields Architectura, Sculptura and Pictura from god Kronos and the ravages of time.

                                  http://www.sargentmurals.bpl.org/site/sargent/01_mfa.html

One of the reasons to visit museums as often as possible, to be shielded from time.....  

Two entrances to one museum

Entering the new 'Fogg' from Quincy street across Harvard Yard, all seems the same as before the renovation and enlargement works had been done behind closed doors.

However,  inside and looking up to the glass roof one  realizes the new spaciousness. Three museum collections - the Busch-Reisinger, the Arthur M. Sackler and the Fogg - are now united and the art objects juxtaposed in the galleries.  A 'teaching machine' which will give opportunities to look and learn not just for Harvard students but for the many other students in the Boston area.  

The Fogg building has now two entrances/exits and invites students and the public to use it as a 'shortcut' from Prescott street to Harvard Yard. The museum cafe and the museum shop can be visited without a museum ticket and invite passersby to forget the 'shortcut' and stay to enjoy the interior courtyard's space.

Compared to the Quincy entrance, the Prescott entrance has no trace of familiarity but the look of a new museum we waited for for so many years. Renzo Piano, the architect had to meet loud complains
by the neighbors. Too late for them now and better for them to enter and enjoy the inside and  all the beauty there.
http://www.harvardartmuseums.org/about/mission

Get a Turkey!

Unimaginable to have a Thanksgiving dinner without a roasted turkey. Therefore the supermarkets have stocked up with many fresh or frozen turkeys.  One can choose between 6 to 16 pounders, depending on the guests at the dinner table. Rule of thumb is, better take more then less  because 'cold turkey' in the days after Thanksgiving is popular.

These appealing packaged turkeys are far removed from the off-putting flocks of wild turkeys invading the suburbs around Boston.  Once these native birds were on the endangered species list.  With the interest in local food and smaller portions ....... could there be a solution? 

http://www.nwtf.org/for_hunters/hunting_tactics.html

No, better not, as there is too much effort involved before roasting the bird.

Glitter glitter

No more time to go to the Champs Elysee where the Christmas lights are now switched on every day from 5 pm to midnight.  Instead we were blinded by all the sparkle of the crystal shown in a special exhibition in the Petit Palais. The reason is to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Baccarat manufactory.

 All Swarkowsky fans will be so excited of the sparkle.

At the Paris Worlds Fair in 1855, Baccarat received a gold medal and from then on the brand name became known the world over. 

 The history of the numerous Worlds Fairs in Paris during the 19th and 20th centuries is illustrated next to the different Baccarat show pieces.   This gives an interesting understanding for the taste and design in different time periods. As well as the impact these world fairs had for Paris during those years and explaine the know-how of luxury brand marketing still existing in France.

 A giant Baccarat chandelier hangs in the entrance hall of the Petit Palais where the celebration exhibition is located. The glitter of a golden age in France!

http://us.baccarat.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-bct_us-Site/en_US/HubPage-WOB?cid=Musées