Friday, I think

 

February 17, 2012 – Friday, I think.  

It’s one of those rare gray mornings in St. Petersburg.  But we’re not going to let the overcast skies and forecast for showers dampen our spirits.  This morning, we’re off to the Museum of Fine Arts.  The current special exhibition is Ancient Egypt: Art and Magic, and that’s where we begin.  We tagged along for a little while on a docent-led tour before we took off on our own.  The docent remarked on the power of words, both written and spoken, in ancient Egyptian culture.  Words had a magical power.  For example, the Egyptians believed that by saying the name of the deceased, they ensured that the deceased person would continue to live on in the afterlife.  I immediately thought of saying the name of a departed loved one when reciting Kaddish on the anniversary of the person’s death. 

Most of the works we saw in the exhibit were made of stone, primarily alabaster.  The Egyptians chose stone for their art because of its permanence.  Since alabaster was white, and white was associated with purity, alabaster was the most desirable type of stone.  Priests played a role in the quarrying of alabaster, which was a religiously sanctioned activity.  We also saw objects made of other materials, such as granite, bronze and wood. The chubby-faced red granite bust of Ramses II reminded me of the Passover story.  And I re-learned something I’d probably first learned years ago in one of my undergraduate classes, namely that bronze is an alloy of copper and tin.  One of the most imposing objects on display was a wooden sarcophagus lid.  It towered over all the other objects in the gallery.  Probably what I’ll remember most was a papyrus scroll, over 2000 years old, with a drawing of the scene called the Weighing of the Heart (spell #125) from the Book of the Dead.  The accompanying panel referred to the “negative confession” made by the deceased.  Check it out - it's fascinating.  And here’s a final factoid from the exhibit that I’d like to pass along:  the ancient Egyptian word for cat is “miu.” 

Of course, the MFA has a permanent collection, as well.  We wandered through the rooms and came across several familiar names.  Among the late 20^th century American works displayed were paintings by Gene Davis and Leon Berkowitz, two artists Elliott knew in Washington, DC.  Georgia O’Keeffe was represented by three works, including the beautiful Poppies from 1927.   In the room devoted to European 19^th and 20^th century European art, we saw paintings by Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, and Gauguin.  There was an especially lovely Berthe Morisot painting of a woman reading.  We walked a little more quickly through the galleries of earlier European and American painting, Asian art, Pre-Columbian art, and decorative arts because Elliott was beginning to tire.  He took a rest break while I perused the excellent museum shop and stocked up on gift items.  A quick stop at the Cassis bakery for coffee and brioche helped revive Elliott.  

We were scheduled to get together with an old friend of Elliott’s for a late lunch.  When I say old, I mean Bob and Elliott last saw each other in 1980 when both were part of a visiting artists program in Bulgaria.  Bob and his wife, Carol, met us at the tiny tapas restaurant Pincho y Pincho, the sister restaurant of Ceviche.  For over two hours, Elliott and Bob reminisced and related stories from the past 30-plus years.  By that time, the rain was coming down pretty steadily.  A rainy day seems to call for soup, and the menu offered both the black bean variety and a hearty garbanzo bean soup.  We tried both.  In addition, Elliott and I shared a few tapas:  huevos rellenos (stuffed eggs), grilled jumbo asparagus, and a wonderful sautéed spinach dish with sliced figs, honey, and caramelized onions.  

The rainy afternoon continues.  Elliott’s reading now.  On this trip, he’s become addicted to his Kindle.  But every so often, he accidentally touches something and loses his place.  Then he gets upset and calls for me to come and fix it.  I wish his Kindle had a big UNDO key he could press.  It’s movie time (thanks to Netflix) for me.  Inspired by today’s visit to the museum, I chose Linnea in Monet’s Garden.  Next trip – Giverny? 

And speaking of trips – I just realized that today marks the midpoint of our sojourn in St. Petersburg.  In one week, we’ll be on the auto train again, heading up north to Virginia.