Philadelphia Museum Experience
Upon entering the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the immediate visual effect of the architecture and large columns peaked my interest, while shifting my view towards the seven different exhibits. After analyzing the map to choose a section to start, the closest was American Art. This wing featured galleries featuring Philadelphia realist painter Thomas Eakins. The dark nature of the paintings was accented by dim museum lighting, adding to the effect of an electricity-deprived society. Haunting paintings such as The Gross Clinic (1875) enhanced the portrayal of 19th century American realism. The Philadelphia Museum of Art also provided furniture and silver preserved from various centuries accented the halls with noteworthy and deep paintings.
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After completion of the American exhibit, the museum shifted into 1850–1900 European Art and transitioning into Modern and Contemporary Art. The lighting in these sections was much brighter and filled the rooms to portray a time in Europe when painting with light colors reigned supreme. The feature pieces were the ones form Claude Monet, such as the Port of Le Havre and Path on the Island of Saint Martin. We see the brushstrokes of each individual painting, properly highlighting the period of European Art. Near the end of the wing, a large well-lit circular room displayed the works of Camille Pissaro, a French Impressionist with feature works spread across the world. Modern and Contemporary Art was laid out beautifully, with long and open white rooms, playing to the theme of modern and innovative art. The most impressive exhibit within this section was the entire room dedication to the American painter Cy Twombly, as his 10 painting cycle Fifty Days at Illiam is featured side-by-side to draw effect into the erratic mindset of ancient war the painter was interpreting. Down the hall from Twombly’s impressive sketches was a room illuminated by neon-white signs displayed ancient 16th century European texts, providing a bridge between two separate influential periods of time in art. While following the direction of the museum, I found the layout to be slightly confusing, due to the excess amount of walls and rooms and strange transition in between exhibits. The separation of exhibits proves important, as the museum tends to jumble together unless you notice a specific sign. Individual galleries were arranged conceptually and nationality, which many European artists being separated by the country of origin. The contemporary and relatively recent art from Europe and America are grouped together, due to similar time periods, although most of the art is not quite similar in style. The logical transition would be to start chronologically in Ancient Asia and Early Europe (1100–1500) and continue through the centuries, ending up in Modern/Contemporary. Sculptures in each wing were either given their own room, in hallways or accenting a corner between art pieces. The impressive nature of half-carved roman emperors displayed the talent in creating a piece of art from marble or slate. Perhaps the most impressive sculpture was the full wall interpretation of Jesus amongst his shepherds. Lighting was used to create dark shadows and provide a heavy presence, illuminating certain aspects of the body and delivering darkness to others. One of the standout pieces was the Avenue de l’Opera: Morning Sunshine by Camille Pissaro, found in gallery 161.
The detail in this 1898 French painting have the viewer standing in awe for much longer than anticipated, transfixing the eyes from the shops along the street to roofs of buildings. The piece of art featured horses and carriages, with people littering the square on a busy day in town. The depth of color transitions in the street and the sky added shadows and darker patches. The oil on canvas painting delivered all the brushstrokes in a coherent fashion, completing one of the most fantastic works of art I have ever seen. Another fantastic artist with pieces displayed at the museum was Jasper Johns, the artist famous for the 1955 American Flag painting. His innovative modern art pushed boundaries that none had experimented with in the 1950s as he began to paint numbers and maps of America. In my opinion, the best artist within the European Art exhibit was Claude Monet. His paintings found in gallery 161 of the Water Lily Pond and Bend in the Epte River near Giverny found in gallery 157 displayed an excess of color like the pinks and greens of exotic flora and fauna. Overall, I enjoyed this assignment and its mandatory attention for detail and admiration throughout the Philadelphia Museum of
Art.
After completion of the American exhibit, the museum shifted into 1850–1900 European Art and transitioning into Modern and Contemporary Art. The lighting in these sections was much brighter and filled the rooms to portray a time in Europe when painting with light colors reigned supreme. The feature pieces were the ones form Claude Monet, such as the Port of Le Havre and Path on the Island of Saint Martin. We see the brushstrokes of each individual painting, properly highlighting the period of European Art. Near the end of the wing, a large well-lit circular room displayed the works of Camille Pissaro, a French Impressionist with feature works spread across the world. Modern and Contemporary Art was laid out beautifully, with long and open white rooms, playing to the theme of modern and innovative art. The most impressive exhibit within this section was the entire room dedication to the American painter Cy Twombly, as his 10 painting cycle Fifty Days at Illiam is featured side-by-side to draw effect into the erratic mindset of ancient war the painter was interpreting. Down the hall from Twombly’s impressive sketches was a room illuminated by neon-white signs displayed ancient 16th century European texts, providing a bridge between two separate influential periods of time in art. While following the direction of the museum, I found the layout to be slightly confusing, due to the excess amount of walls and rooms and strange transition in between exhibits. The separation of exhibits proves important, as the museum tends to jumble together unless you notice a specific sign. Individual galleries were arranged conceptually and nationality, which many European artists being separated by the country of origin. The contemporary and relatively recent art from Europe and America are grouped together, due to similar time periods, although most of the art is not quite similar in style. The logical transition would be to start chronologically in Ancient Asia and Early Europe (1100–1500) and continue through the centuries, ending up in Modern/Contemporary. Sculptures in each wing were either given their own room, in hallways or accenting a corner between art pieces. The impressive nature of half-carved roman emperors displayed the talent in creating a piece of art from marble or slate. Perhaps the most impressive sculpture was the full wall interpretation of Jesus amongst his shepherds. Lighting was used to create dark shadows and provide a heavy presence, illuminating certain aspects of the body and delivering darkness to others. One of the standout pieces was the Avenue de l’Opera: Morning Sunshine by Camille Pissaro, found in gallery 161.
The detail in this 1898 French painting have the viewer standing in awe for much longer than anticipated, transfixing the eyes from the shops along the street to roofs of buildings. The piece of art featured horses and carriages, with people littering the square on a busy day in town. The depth of color transitions in the street and the sky added shadows and darker patches. The oil on canvas painting delivered all the brushstrokes in a coherent fashion, completing one of the most fantastic works of art I have ever seen. Another fantastic artist with pieces displayed at the museum was Jasper Johns, the artist famous for the 1955 American Flag painting. His innovative modern art pushed boundaries that none had experimented with in the 1950s as he began to paint numbers and maps of America. In my opinion, the best artist within the European Art exhibit was Claude Monet. His paintings found in gallery 161 of the Water Lily Pond and Bend in the Epte River near Giverny found in gallery 157 displayed an excess of color like the pinks and greens of exotic flora and fauna. Overall, I enjoyed this assignment and its mandatory attention for detail and admiration throughout the Philadelphia Museum of
Art.