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While in Paris, we decided to go to the Musée d’Orsay, to pay our respects to Vincent van Gogh’s glorious paintings, as we have done many times during previous years and will undoubtedly do numerous times in the years to come; after all, who could ever tire of such wonderful art? I’ve been reading Dear Theo, and dipped into it again whilst on the train from Lille. Van Gogh, an artist whose every work was influenced by Japanese art, wrote in a letter to his brother Theo:
‘Keep the three hundred Hokusai views of the holy mountain as well as the pictures of Japanese life; there is an attic at Bing’s house with millions of prints piled up, landscapes and figures. Let me commend to you that attic of Bing’s.’ Ah, the thought of so many Japanese woodblocks in one place, and by Hokusai no less... I drifted off into a wonderful daydream as the train approached Gare du Nord. Oh to have a time machine destined for late 19th century Paris.
4 comments:
Gina
I've just returned from Washington (and the Inauguration). While there I had an opportunity to visit the Freer Gallery. As you may know in addition to the stunning Peacock Room, the museum contains perhaps the largest repository of Whistler works paintings, drawings and etchings. For more on this consummate Japaniste, see Venetian Red posts
http://venetianred.net/2009/02/01/a-whistler-caprice-at-the-freer/
http://venetianred.net/2009/02/04/whistler-part-2/
that's a wonderful note from van gogh -- i hadn't come across that one. (i assume that last line is yours?)
also have a rat, or several. not a pet exactly, a scavanger for any left-over birdfood most nights.
but i'm told they're harmless, they're tree rats, small, and fascinating to me and my cats both.
i'll review your book if you'd like.
Yes, the last line is mine. Oh to have been able to see those prints. If I had a time machine...
About the review... drop me an email and we can talk about it: gina@ginacolliasuzuki.com
i think they did finally invent a time machine. it's called the internet. :^)
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