David/Apollo Says "Ciao!"

 

Tuesday, February 12, 2013 – David/Apollo Says “Ciao!”

I hate to gloat, especially when my friend Lynda in Connecticut is still digging out from over 3 feet of snow, but today we’re enjoying perfect walking weather in the DC area – bright sun, blue skies, upper 40s, no wind.  I went out for a walk this morning, knowing all too well that this too shall pass.  In fact, there’s mention of some mixed precipitation tomorrow.  But for now, I’ll enjoy a brief respite from the worst of winter. 

On the homefront, the second bathroom remodeling project is underway although it’s still in the very early stages.  Thoughts of toilets, tubs and tile are swirling around in my head.  Many more decisions lie ahead for us.  Elliott and I had a date at Lowe’s yesterday where I learned about all the latest toilet features.  But enough of this.  I’d rather talk about something else, like my visit to the National Gallery of Art last Saturday.

Am I David or Apollo?

Kathy and I stopped by the museum to see Michelangelo’s unfinished marble statue, which is on loan from the Bargello Museum in Florence, Italy.  The poor fellow has been having an identity crisis for nearly 500 years.  Scholars can’t say definitively if Michelangelo intended to portray the biblical hero David or the Greek god Apollo.  There is evidence for both beliefs.  It’s all tied up with the politics of Cinquecento (1500s) Florence, with supporters of the republic battling the powerful Medici family and imperial forces.  In any case, the statue is beautiful to behold, especially in the small gallery where viewers can get an up-close look.  It was fascinating to see evidence of the process of sculpting the form out of the block of marble.  I am completely in awe of sculptors who use a subtractive method.  It’s something I’ve never attempted.  If you’re in the Washington area, hurry over to see David/Apollo before March 3, when he’ll say “arrivederci, DC” and head back to Italy. 

The other exhibit we enjoyed immensely at the NGA comes from the private collection of James Dyke.  Color, Line, Light features 19^th and 20^th century French works on paper, including watercolors, drawings, and pastels by a wide range of artists.  This show will be on view until late May.  It was fascinating to see unfamiliar works by familiar names, such as Delacroix, Monet, and Pissarro.  I was especially struck by Delacroix’s eerily evocative battle scene populated by ghostly figures.  Also, Monet’s pastel rendering of Waterloo Bridge was an ethereal gem.  The very helpful text accompanying the exhibit explains major period styles from Romanticism, Realism, and Naturalism to Impressionism, Nabis and Symbolism, to later Neo-Impressionism. 

By the way, after my last art history class, where I saw images of Giotto’s frescoes in the Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel in Padua, Italy, I’m ready to hop on a transatlantic flight to see these masterpieces in person.  I never thought I’d get excited about the Proto-Renaissance (the early art historian Vasari coined this term), but it’s happening!