Skip to main content

The Hermitage

Image
By


Ten years ago (okay, maybe eleven) I stepped foot in one of the most extraordinary and fascinating structures every built by mankind. I knew very little about it; in fact, I’d never heard of it until I met my husband.

“The Hermitage?” I had said. “What is that?”

“Oh, it’s amazing,” my husband replied.


And it was. The walls were lined with ornate patterns weaving in and out of each other; trim inlaid with gold adorned the most magnificent architecture I’d ever laid eyes on.

Not only that, but it was a museum, filled to the brim with the treasures of Leonardo da Vinci, Rafael, Simone Martini, Peter Paul Reubens, Jean-Honore Fragonard, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Michelangelo, Antonio Canova (my favorite!), Auguste Rodin, and Jean-Antoine Houdon. And these exhibits are just the icing on the cake.


We were lucky, while there, to find that the Hermitage was hosting an exhibition of ancient Egypt, including mummy corpses and Egyptian art. It was the first time I’d seen a mummy in real life, encased in glass and just as creepy as they look in the movies. It was awesome!
Not only this, but the museum boasts art from as far back as B.C. time periods and ancient Greece and Rome. Jewelry from different periods, as well as sculptures by unknowns. The exhibit rotates, and even after spending a number of days in the Hermitage (also the Winter Palace of the late Peter the Great and his Queen Alexandra), my husband claims he had still not seen every room or every artwork that he could have. I believe him.


My favorite part of my experience in the museum was coming across Cupid and Psyche, by Antonio Canova. I didn’t know they even had this work here. My husband also saw this piece in the Louvre in Paris. I was jealous, but I could hardly be too concerned when I had already seen the piece once. It was magnificent. There is something about marble carved statues as well – sort of like the Stradivarius for violins, Carrera is the most beautiful and sculpture worthy marble in the world. There are many excellent marble statues that adorn the halls of the Hermitage.

But I’m getting sidetracked. So months before I went to this museum, I came across a photograph of one of the most gorgeous statues I had ever seen; Cupid & Psyche. I loved it at once. I grew up around very little artistic culture, so seeing these things even in pictures had quite an impact on me at first. And when I saw the sculpture up close and personal? I can’t quite describe how that feels. Surely if you’ve ever seen a masterpiece in real life and try to compare it to a picture, you know what I mean. There is something deep and even individualistic about involving yourself in a work of art like this.

If you ever have the chance to go to The Hermitage, do it. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity (unless you live in St. Petersburg, of course). If not, find a museum closer to you and go. There is probably a fantastic museum at a University close to you.

Until next time, my best wishes in your search for the beautiful.

-Amanda


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Focus: Immortality

By
Several years ago Mike created Outside the Circle, which you can read about on a previous blog. Around the same time, he created this statue: Immortality Part of the story is mine. Shortly before Mike created this piece, I had my first miscarriage. What they say is true: you never understand how difficult it is until you go through one yourself. I remember talking to Mike about the sacrifices that so many women make. We give up our bodies for years at a time. Our bodies sometimes fail us. Our minds suffer when things don't go as planned. Emotions are high, and so are the stakes. This statue, aptly named "Immortality," is the embodiment of those sacrifices. Not only do women bear children, but we don't bear children. We adopt and we foster care, and we babysit our nieces and nephews. We lose sleep. We toss and turn. We worry. We lose our marbles. Sometimes, women can look down at themselves and see only stretchmarks. We a wreck of the person we used to
Post a Comment
Read more

Now: Up at the Springville Museum of Art

By
It's finished! Isn't it always nice when you can say something like that? With all the work that went into this relief, Mike is ready for vacation. Even the casting process put him through a physical and emotional ride. The work that goes into creating something, from concept to finished product, is amazingly strenuous and impressive. When I try the process myself I tend to give up, so I have a tremendous respect for artists in general. Last night we went to the opening of the Fall Show at the Springville Museum of Art. There were a LOT of people there. I think they ran out of cups for water. But it was a nice evening, with beautiful art, and great people. Mike has received continuous awards in this show for the last...seven years? Eight, maybe? This is how you know that he works hard and puts a lot of himself into his pieces. Not only is he good, but he uses his talents and knowledge for good. He creates pieces that convey messages about important qualities and eleme
Post a Comment
Read more

Now: Time for Wax

By
Though my post is a little late, cut me some slack. It's raining and gorgeous outside, and we've been enjoying it. Might sound crazy, but I am so glad this summer is over.  Tomorrow we head to Baer Bronze to check the metal. Before that, Mike had to go out there to check the wax:  Mostly, this blog is going to be in photos. Because the photos are awesome and speak for themselves. When I look at this wax, I'm not sure what the purpose is. Here's what I know: Mike's pieces are cast using the Lost Wax method, which means the piece is cast in wax first, remolded, and then when the bronze is poured the wax is burned away. Hence, the lost wax method.  This is an amazing shot. What I like about this broken wax piece is the detail you can see. This is pretty much what the bronze will look like. You know, minus the attachments on the bottom.  There are some of the pieces that had to be removed and cast separately. The wolf is one of my favorite figures from thi
Post a Comment
Read more