Despite what this blog might suggest, I do actually take part in tourist activities that have nothing to do with grocery stores and food. And seeing as food is currently nothing more to me than bland sustenance (fie on you cold! Fie!), it seems fitting to share some of the museum-related sights that have moved me to… well, that have moved me in some way.
(You know what else has moved me? You lovely people. Thank you so much for your get-well wishes over the past few days. You have no idea how much your comments have meant to me, for being sick made me feel less like a solo traveller than a lonely traveller. I am now in Berlin, and this afternoon experienced a moment of being able to smell cigarette smoke, without even having to stalk anyone. There may be hope for delicious German cake yet.)
Now, the art and its paraphernalia!
Mirror case, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.
I took this photo because I was so excited to see something that wasn’t a religious scene. Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with depictions of the life of Christ, and many were fascinating and all that good stuff… It’s just that sometimes a girl likes to see two lovers being serenaded while embracing in a boat, rather than a lot of men hanging around with looks of gravitas upon their bearded faces.
Informative card thingamajig describing the painting of "Christ discovered in the temple". Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool.
Three words:
Best. Excuse. Ever.
"Maternal Affection", by Edward Hodges Baily, dated 1837. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
I just love this. I really, really do. Lacking an art history background, I don’t have the words in me to describe this, except to say that it truly shows the bond (“affection”) between parent and child. (Oooh, see what I did there with the PC-replacement of “mother” with “parent”?)
In fact, let’s look at it again, closer up…
Aww.
Yep. Now, from the sublime to the ridiculous (in terms of my reaction, not the artist’s work itself…)
An installation from Ludmila Pawlowska's exhibition "Icons in Transformation". Liverpool Cathedral, Liverpool.
I’m not sure what Freud would have made of this particular piece, what with the faces on the …spear… and all, but we could probably (oh, so many jokes I can’t let myself make… well, just one) take a whack at it.
Guys! Guys!
Guess who this is! Guess! *giggles* Oh, I love art and its ability to highlight the diversity of ideals of beauty throughout history. This is Helen of Troy. You know, the face that launched a thousand ships? Super beautiful and all that?
Dear dear deario, she looks like a petulant teenager who’s just been banned from facebook for, like, omigod, like, two days, omigod worst parents EVER. Frederick Sandys, Mr. Artist Man, I don’t know what you and your Victorian friends would make of Jennifer Garner, or Ginnifer Goodwin, or Emma Lung (when brunette), but methinks you would not find them quite as attractive as I do…
Whole Foods, Kensington, London
Now this, friends, is my kind of art.
Did you know how much I love Simone Martini? And yet, all you showed was the LABEL, the LABEL! Where is the picture? I want to see the little boy being naughty.
As for that Freudian picture, I will let you clever young ones take a STAB at that!
Hahaha! That Helen of Troy painting is classic! I love art galleries…have a tendency to loose myself in them and the worlds they create.
Beautiful photos and Helen of Troy (and your description of her) is utterly brilliant!
hehe love your tour of art galleries and that was what I thought when I saw your picture of Helen of Troy. She looks very petulant indeed! Gotta love a wall of chocolate really. Why don’t art galleries have edible installations?
For what its worth, I actually dont think you have to be PC about the statue. Clearly it is about the bond between mother and child as that is clearly a woman. Gender specificity does not have to be the devil. Run with Mother. It is a superb statue and definitely made the trip out of the house with a dreadful cold worthwhile.
Wow. Helen of Troy is petulant with a capital P!
“Like, and then they stuck this stupid pink flower in my hair.. my RED hair, don’t they know red and pink are like totally munted together? God!”
Maybe those thousand ships launched to get away from her.
Love Jesus’ excuse. I’m totally stealing that one. Maybe I won’t try and use it on my Dad, though.
Whisperringgums: You know, I think that’s the only time I didn’t take a photo of both the sign and the painting! Also, I was tossing up between “stab” and “whack”
Vaala: It is wonderful how art can transport us away from our everyday lives, isn’t it?
Kath: Thank you! I just call it like I see it
Lorraine: Maybe because they know people like me would eat them?
Carrying On: Am so glad you enjoyed that day despite your lack of wellness! And because I like you so much, I’m attributing my awful cold to the coughing Swiss girl at my Liverpool hostel, not to you.
Conor: Hahaha! And now I can’t help thinking of Paris as some sort of terribly emo boy painting his fingernails black…
Now that’s what I call a chocolate display!
Camille: I did my little happy dance when I saw that wall of chocolate. And you better believe I *scoured* it for the chocolate makers you wanted, but to no avail
However, I did pick something up for you – it’s not a fancy-schmancy artisan American chocolate, and I haven’t tried it myself, so it could be a dud… but it’ll be your dud! 
I’m glad to see a grocery store photo still made it into this post, despite the explanation at the beginning. And total l-o-l at the Jesus story.
Theresa: Whoops, I couldn’t help myself, could I?
Goody!!
Camille: That’s what I like to hear!
Great selection of interesting art! Jesus’ “excuse” made me laugh, and I especially love that mirror case.
Amber: Thank you! And I’m glad there’s at least one other vote for the mirror case
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You description of Sandys Helen of Troy is brilliant. I get the same impression of a sulky teenager but I love her anyway. She always makes me smile when I see her at the Walker where I often go in my lunch break. She is sure to cheer yet another miserable Liverpool day.
Thank you Kurt! It’s such a thrill when someone finds and comments on a post that I myself have all but forgotten about. And oh, the thought of being able to pop over to the Walker on a lunch break absolutely tears at my travel-yearning heart! Lucky you