I had never been to the Brooklyn Museum before, so our visit was an exciting new experience. Each museum we go to is like a stroll through an art textbook. Seeing the work on the wall, and placing yourself into a physical context with it is an experience that can only be felt in person. I view it as an integral part of my art education, building my skills of art appreciation and critical analysis.
On display in the entrance were a collection of sculptures by Auguste Rodin. I knew that he was highly regarded as a sculptor, but seeing The Burghers of Calais in person took my breath away. The larger-than-life sculptures made me feel very small- as though a single strike from their giant hands would send me flying across the sunlit atrium. Their power and expressive qualities were so beautiful; I spent several minutes standing with them, taking them in.
Auguste Rodin, Eustache de Saint-Pierre, 1886-87
The museum holds the second largest collection of works in New York City- totaling an incredible 1.5 million pieces. Of course, they weren't all on display, but there was an intriguing exhibition of sketches- including some by Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, and Isamu Noguchi.
Besides those sketches, my favorite pieces included works by Philip Guston, Stuart Davis, and John Koch.
Philip Guston, Red Cloth, 1976
The museum's special exhibition of watercolors by John Singer Sargent was also very interesting and quite beautiful. Videos being shown around the exhibition featured artists re-painting select water colors, allowing the viewer an over-the-shoulder look at how Sargent would have created the fantastic works on display.
We also got to see El Anatsui's show of found object sculptures, which I had been very excited to see. It did not disappoint- the monumental works were emotionally moving. Like Rodin's sculptures in the entrance, they gave the viewer a sense of being small, but also of being a part of something much bigger.
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